Amid growing concern over stray dog attacks that have left several injured, including elderly people and children, experts warn that if action is not taken soon Turkey’s stray animal population will equal that of humans by 2030, exacerbating what has already become a deep social concern while authorities are still debating how to deal with the problem.
Alper Şener, a professor at Izmir’s Katip Çelebi University, warned of the risk posed by stray dogs due to the transmission of diseases such as rabies, a virus with a near 100% lethality rate, for which there is no cure, and which is transmitted by the bite of infected animals. In fact, Turkey is currently on the WHO list of rabies-endemic countries, precisely because of the increase in its stray animal population.
“The main concern is to control the stray animal population. Citizens must be made aware that it is not appropriate to keep animals on the streets,” warned the expert, who added that the problem is not only rabies, but also other diseases and parasites that can be transmitted by these animals. “If this problem is not controlled, it will be impossible to prevent the spread of these diseases,” insisted Şener, recalling the importance of prevention.
“Stray animals should be treated as soon as possible. This is important for the prevention of rabies. In Turkey we love nature and animals, but human health is more important than anything else… Articles published by veterinarians predict that by 2030 or 2040 the stray animal population will equal the human population. These are terrible figures. There is nowhere in the world where animals are allowed to breed so freely,” the professor warned.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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