Erzurum bans feeding strays across eastern province

ERZURUM

A masked person feeds a group of stray dogs on a street. (AA Photo)

Authorities in the eastern Turkish province of Erzurum banned feeding stray animals on streets province-wide to prevent them from breeding and forming new habitats.

District municipalities will monitor the ban announced on the Governor’s Office social accounts. Neighborhood headmen, the Police Department and District Gendarmerie Commands will run inspections to identify strays, reporting them to district municipalities.

Chaired by Governor Aydın Baruş at the Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorate, the Provincial Animal Protection Board suspended operations of the Pasin Ovası Municipalities Union shelter until it meets regulations. Union members Hınıs, Horasan, Karaçoban, Karayazı, Köprüköy and Tekman municipalities will sign temporary protocols with the Erzurum Municipality shelter.

District agriculture directorates will track the breeding of dogs adopted via the provincial directorate. The municipality will train district veterinarians and animal collection teams, forwarding data to the Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorate. District governor’s offices will report complaints monthly.

Deputy Governor Orhan Ayaz, Provincial Police Chief Mahmut Ay, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Maj. Gen. Cengiz Yıldız, district governors and mayors attended.

Parliament passed a contentious animal rights law in 2024, strictly mandating municipalities to round up stray dogs from streets and place them in shelters to address public safety concerns across Türkiye.