Research has revealed that Anatolian shepherd dogs selected from the high plateaus of Erzurum were sent to the United States in 1938 with the approval of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in a process that went beyond a simple animal transfer and carried diplomatic, scientific and military dimensions.
According to researcher Taner Özdemir, one of the most comprehensive studies on the subject was authored by academic Işıl Acehan, regarded as an authority on Turkish-American relations. Her article, titled “Shepherd Dogs from Erzurum,” focuses on two Anatolian shepherd dogs, Karabaş and Fındık, sent to the U.S., as well as their offspring Joe, born in America.
Özdemir said the process took shape within a project launched in the late 1930s by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace to identify “the world’s best shepherd dog.” The request was conveyed to Türkiye through then Turkish Ambassador to Washington Mehmed Münir Ertegün and was approved by Atatürk.
“According to the study, one male and one female dog were selected from Erzurum. Although the export of dogs was banned at the time, this transfer was carried out as an exceptional and symbolic diplomatic gesture,” Özdemir said.
Archival documents cited in the research show that the dogs were subjected to scientific testing in the United States and drew attention for their strong instincts and independent character. During World War II, they were reportedly assigned by the U.S. Navy to guard a radio station in Maryland.
Özdemir noted that the case represents a rare example of Erzurum’s animal husbandry culture gaining international significance. “Thanks to Acehan’s meticulous archival research, the diplomatic and military aspects of this story have become clear,” he said, adding that the episode constitutes a notable chapter in Turkish-American relations.
The study also highlights that from the 15th century onward, Anatolian shepherd dogs raised in the harsh climate of Erzurum’s highlands were valued not only for agricultural purposes but also for their protective capabilities.
“The fact that these dogs were used in a military context shows that they were evaluated beyond cultural and agricultural frameworks,” Özdemir said, stressing that the story illustrates how local values from Anatolia became part of global history.
Acehan’s article examines the journey of Karabaş and Fındık, along with their American-born offspring Joe, through archival documents, placing the episode on solid historical ground and shedding light on an unusual diplomatic connection established between Türkiye and the United States in 1938.
