Dogs found colorfully painted near Istanbul factory

ISTANBUL

Several dogs have been found painted in red, blue and green after they played with powdered paint near an abandoned factory in western Istanbul.

Upon strong reactions from animal rights advocates, the municipality in Istanbul’s Küçükçekmece district, where the dogs were found painted in several colors near an old match factory, said the dogs had been taken to a veterinary clinic, cleaned up and freed, daily Milliyet reported on Jan. 26.

The municipality said the dogs colored themselves after playing with powdered paint near the deserted factory after animal advocacy groups and rights organizations blamed fishing vessel owners near the factory for painting the dogs. 

The factory was also cleaned up by municipal employees upon visits made by animal rights advocates to the site to determine how the dogs had become painted from snout to tail. 

The news about the dogs found painted in various colors near the factory immediately spread on social media and sparked outrage by animal rights activists.