03/11/2025
I debated for a while whether or not to post this as I tend to try and post positively on the business page but I felt compelled to write about our experience during our recent holiday and what an eye opening experience it was.
I had always loved visiting a particular part of Turkey, one huge reason was how well the street dogs had integrated and were taken care of with their fat little bellies - I’d often joke about how much their ‘owners’ would get a telling off if they walked into work with their waistlines.
Recently, new laws in Turkey have made it mandatory for every dog found wandering to be rounded up and taken to a municipality shelter, including the dogs that have lived peacefully in villages for years, loved and cared for by locals, holidaymakers and expats.
The shelters across Turkey have had absolutely zero support from the government that have brought these laws in, less than 12 months in and the situation is absolutely dire.
The body of a puppy that had succumbed to illness and another dog, found dead in one of the pens were particularly difficult to see. Skinny and shut down mothers trying to nurse potentially sick puppies and injured dogs from fighting. The overcrowding situation was extremely overwhelming and I did spend most of the day in tears. ‘Adopt me’ collars hung up once worn by many occupants of the pens. The dogs are confused and unsettled in their new surroundings.
Another van load arrived, the dogs had been darted to sedate them, one still wagged her tail at me as I put my hand through the cage to stroke her and talk to her.
Rows and rows of pens just full to the brim with dogs and puppies in unsanitary conditions, the shelter is just simply unable to keep up.
What I will say is that I met a group of truly amazing, selfless and inspiring people that give up their time every week to visit to help make these dogs lives just a little bit better. We were able to get a small amount of dogs out of their pens for a walk, we were able to pop blankets in the beds for the mothers and puppies and give them some higher quality food to eat, as well as give a little bit of affection to the dogs. They have a vet at the shelter trying to do her best, which most do not have the privilege of.
We met a gorgeous Doberman named Doblo, he’d been dumped at the shelter with a shattered hip. The vet had tried to save the hip, but as we have agreed to fly him to the UK to be rehomed under Doberman specific rescue (pending a negative brucellosis & Leishmania test) he will be undergoing amputation as the limb isn’t functional and is just at this point simply painful for him.
We also have homes for 3 other dogs and all 4 of them are undergoing vaccines so they can fly over in a few months time. We’ve raised £2,000 so far through GoFundMe amongst the community in Kalkan and my family/friends (Thankyou😘)
I don’t really know what the answer is, part of me doesn’t want to go back ever, but if I don’t I can’t help either. I’d really like to get involved more with these smaller charities both at home and abroad going forward.
The shelter also have a sponsorship program which I believe is £7.50 a month if anyone would be interested please let me know and I will get the details ❤️