In July 2024, Türkiye passed the “stray massacre law,” mandating the mass roundup of an estimated 4 million community dogs. We immediately mobilized protests worldwide and have built close ties with Turkish rescuers ever since. Whilst the situation has become even more dire, your support is enabling dogs, cats and rescuers to survive.

Türkiye used to be a place of peaceful coexistence. Workers made shelters outside offices, communities stocked feeding stations, and dogs were welcomed into air conditioned shops to cool off on hot days. Today’s scenes are totally different.

Our partner from Lucky Paws recently returned to Türkiye to see the change for herself. Four dogs who she had previously made friends with had disappeared. She didn’t see a single dog on her entire trip.

The Scale is Now Undeniable

Türkiye’s own government revealed the numbers in March 2026: since the law passed, 452,587 dogs have been seized from the streets. Of those, just 58,802 were adopted, and only 239,466 were sterilized. 

The fate of the remaining 154,000+ animals has not been disclosed. We suspect most of the missing dogs have either perished through severe shelter overcrowding or been intentionally killed.

In the city of Ankara, municipal facilities reported that over the past 18 months, 31,000 of 59,000 dogs died of so-called “natural causes” — a mortality rate exceeding 50%. 

Compassion Itself Has Become Illegal

In November 2025, things went from bad to worse. Istanbul criminalized the feeding of homeless animals, with fines for those who show compassion. Other cities followed. Citizens who disobey the feeding ban face police conflict and fines.

Trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) programs are banned too. Activists working to humanely reduce the population at their own expense now face government warnings and legal threats. 

Torture, Not Just Killing

The government’s abusive and regressive laws set the tone for wider abuse. On top of documented animal beatings, new evidence has emerged of systematic torture at municipal shelters: workers poisoned water supplies with Windex; dogs were fed to predators at a zoo; and others were injected with toxic chemicals and buried in mass graves. In one reported incident, 37 dogs died at a shelter in a single day. 

Activists Face Repression and Death Threats

Türkiye’s animal advocates are facing vicious disinformation campaigns. Activists on the ground report death threats, spy accusations, and threats to their immigration status. 

Mainstream media has launched coordinated attacks, characterizing animal rescuers as "child haters with designer dogs." The psychological and physical toll on Turkish animal activists is severe, yet they continue their work.

From Protests to Pressure

In June 2026, as Türkiye competed in the FIFA World Cup, In Defense of Animals and our international partners organized an impactful outreach event at the Los Angeles Union Station World Cup fan zone. 

We brought photographic and written evidence of shelter torture and mass killings directly to Turkish soccer fans, and amplified the voices of Turkish animal advocates across borders to demand that President Erdoğan halt the killings and implement humane animal population management.

There IS a Path Forward

International animal organizations including In Defense of Animals are partnering with Turkish rescuers to ensure their noble work continues. 

While TNVR efforts are officially paused, we are building the framework and political support needed for a future national humane dog management program. Our newly-established High-Volume Sterilization Forum supports advocates in Türkiye and beyond. Through connection with peers, international advocacy organizations, and world-leading veterinarians specialized in high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter, we are empowering activists to create impactful humane management solutions around the world.

Our Save Turkish Strays coalition established in 2024 has been an essential source of camaraderie and financial support for Turkish rescuers in this most difficult time.

In Defense of Animals Community Impact: $11,500 to Turkish Rescues

Since 2024, In Defense of Animals supporters have directly funded five courageous Turkish animal rescue organizations operating under government repression:

• Doğa Dostu Derneği — for shelter operations and care, and for a comprehensive Shelter Monitoring, Visiting and Reporting Project that documents conditions and exposes torture at municipal facilities.
• Yaşamdan Yana Derneği and Animal Save Ankara — for rescue and rehabilitation of animals seized from the streets.
• Patiko Ödemiş Animal Rescue Association — for opening a new rescue center to expand capacity.
• Patikara Animal Protection and Emergency Intervention Association — for emergency trauma response and veterinary care.
• Saving Turkey Dogs — for sanctuary care of 200+ rescued dogs with critical medical needs.

Emergency Response Funding:

• Doğa Dostu Derneği — to repair shelter damage from devastating winter flooding that struck while they were conducting investigations.
• Patiko Ödemiş Animal Rescue Association — for emergency relocation of 50 rescued dogs facing government seizure.

These organizations are not just rescuing animals — they are risking their safety and freedom to document government crimes, challenge illegal seizures, and implement sterilization programs that the law forbids them to publicize. 

Patikara is currently caring for 100 animals in clinics and foster homes while admitting 70 new cases per month. Doğa Dostu manages 68 dogs on donated land. Saving Turkey Dogs operates a sanctuary for 200 dogs with limited resources and constant threat of government interference.

Your donations are directly protecting Turkish animal advocates facing death threats and legal persecution — and saving lives in the process.

We stand with animal organizations calling on the Turkish government to immediately release surviving animals, halt all killing, and implement evidence-based humane population management through large-scale sterilization programs.

What You Can Do:

• Contact your U.S. representatives — Urge them to pressure Türkiye through diplomatic channels: Contact
• Support Turkish rescuers directly — Donate to organizations on the front lines: Give now
• Sign and share the alert — Demand President Erdoğan halt the killing and support humane alternatives: Sign now
• Amplify Turkish voices — follow and share updates from Turkish animal advocates; their stories are being suppressed.

The Turkish rescuers we are working with on this campaign are risking everything. With your support, they can transform their country's approach to animal management. But they cannot do it alone. Thank you for your continued support.