MEDIA RELEASE: VIDEO: NYC Exposes Turkiye’s Stray Dog Massacre
PHOTOS & VIDEO: https://bit.ly/NYCTurkishStrayDemo
NEW YORK (Sept. 10, 2024) — Activists united on Saturday at Washington Square Park to demonstrate against Türkiye’s “stray slaughter law” which passed last month. The law has already led to the deaths of thousands of street dogs and cats; millions more face imminent death. Horrifying photos and videos of the country-wide massacre have flooded social media showing dogs burned, bludgeoned, crushed, poisoned, and buried alive in mass graves. This cruel and ineffective approach does nothing to address the root causes of animal homelessness and is a tragic departure from Türkiye’s long-standing culture of compassion towards street animals.
Local animal rights activist Ashley Carter led the demonstration. She said, “Animal activists and Turkish-American citizens in New York City stand in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of activists marching, protesting, and demonstrating around the world against this reprehensible law enacted by a shameful regime. Rarely does one get to see, in real-time, such disrespect and disregard for life, and the Turkish government should feel a great deal of shame for what they've done to these beloved animals and the millions of Turkish animal lovers who care for them. This is a misstep that will not soon be forgotten by the animal-loving community and we will make sure that the whole world knows of the atrocities being carried out in Türkiye right now. This plan was ill-conceived and disingenuous and has done nothing but allow cruel, animal-hating individuals to carry out their impulses to torture, torment, and brutally murder thousands of dogs. As a stray animal rescuer who performs trap-neuter-return, regularly, I know first hand that this humane method of population control is effective when implemented correctly and continuously. Massacaring 4 million animals will not solve Türkiye’s problems. We call for the long-term boycott of Turkish travel and products and will continue to expose President Erdoğan and his government for the vile cruelty of this decision.”
Turkish animal killing and protest photos available via We Animals Media
In Defense of Animals, Animal Save Movement, other animal organizations and activists have organized a week of global demonstrations following a huge protest in İstanbul. Hundreds of thousands of people including major Turkish celebrities took to the streets to speak out against the largest mass slaughter of homeless animals in modern history.
Saturday’s demonstration in New York follows protests at Türkiye’s embassies and consulates last week in Washington D.C., London, and Los Angeles — where police evicted activists from the Turkish Consulate General as they demanded Türkiye repeal the massacre law.
Los Angeles protest photos and videos available from In Defense of Animals
“We are horrified by the burning, poisoning, and crushing of dogs caused by the stray slaughter law. The vast majority of Turkish people reject the violence to animals and it is deeply poignant that New York City has shown strong support as part of our week of worldwide protests. We will not stand by as millions of homeless dogs and cats are brutally killed. President Erdoğan must heed the world’s calls for him to withdraw the stray slaughter law,” said Fleur Dawes, Director of International Partnerships at In Defense of Animals.
Activists in Türkiye have been exposing the killings and protesting tirelessly against the law. A vigil in Kuğulu Park, Ankara, has been ongoing for over three months. Demonstrations have been held in Amsterdam, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Romania, Poland, and the U.K.
Wildlife protection campaigner, writer, and broadcaster, Dominic Dyer is an ardent supporter of the cause and has spoken passionately at protests in London. He said, “President Erdoğan has declared stray dogs enemies of the state and is now undertaking the biggest slaughter of dogs anywhere in the world. The battle to protect these innocent animals in the face of such ignorance, cruelty, and exploitation is a battle for both human and animal rights in Turkey.”
TV presenter and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham, model Heather Mills, and Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan have also spoken out against the law.
In Defense of Animals and Animal Save Movement are calling for international support to pressure the Turkish government to repeal the massacre law. The organizations are also urging the global community to boycott Turkish tourism and trade, adopt Turkish animals, and sign petitions to demand humane treatment for all animals in Türkiye.
Over 100,000 people have signed an Animal Save Movement petition calling for the law to be reversed. The inboxes of President Erdoğan and his top diplomats have been flooded with over 10,000 emails from In Defense of Animals supporters.
“Turkish strays are a part of Turkish culture and daily life”, said Nilgün Engin, Organizer of Ankara Animal Save. “We demand the authorities to reverse the new law which means a death sentence for them.”
Activists in Ankara held a vigil outside the Constitutional Court last week after the main opposition Republican People’s Party moved to repeal the law. The court has now announced it will consider the annulment request.
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CONTACTS
Ashley Carter carter.ashleyt@gmail.com
Lisa Levinson lisa@idausa.org (215) 620-2130
LATEST VIDEOS
Los Angeles protest, eviction by police
TAKE ACTION AND LEARN MORE
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Animal Save Movement: Act Now to Save Turkey’s Dogs & Cats
ORGANIZATIONS
Animal Save Movement is a global network of activists that bear witness to animals at the gates of slaughterhouses. Their vision is a vegan world for the animals, the planet and health. http://animalsavemovement.org
In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 40-year history of defending animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in central California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org
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