KAPSA and the street animals of Kalkan urgently need your help

[saskia]

As regular visitors to Enjoy Kalkan will know there is a dedicated group of people in Kalkan committed to caring for the welfare of Kalkan’s numerous street animals. This care includes treating sick or wounded animals, feeding them in the winter when most of the tourists have gone home and many restaurants have closed and there is little food available and, lastly but very importantly, neutering and vaccinating as many animals as we can, so that they remain healthy and their numbers don''''''''t get out of hand.

Despite our efforts in neutering animals, the number of dogs on the streets of Kalkan has gone up considerably in the last few years, not due to puppies being born here, as few are these days, but because neutering programs like ours are not instigated in the villages around Kalkan. Consequently unwanted puppies are continually being brought into Kalkan and left to fend for themselves. When numbers get too great, even our good natured street dogs can cause quite a nuisance - fighting among themselves and running around in packs. As a result, local people sometimes take matters into their own hands by resorting to poisoning or other inhumane methods of reducing the numbers and, this year in particular, we are quite worried that something like this may happen. This being so, we feel that it is essential to stop the flow of dogs coming in from outside and the only way to do this is to address the problem at its root i.e. the neighbouring villages. This winter, with the support of the Mayor of Kalkan  and Municipality, we aim to initiate a program of neutering all stray dogs in the surrounding area and educating local people about the importance of neutering their own animals.

All of this costs money, and, although everyone involved works voluntarily and many of us have to delve into our own pockets to help finance this, we rely heavily on contributions from animal loving visitors to Kalkan. This year though tourism has not been good in Kalkan and this has had a knock on effect on donations to our cause. Added to this we seem to have had to treat more victims of traffic accidents etc than in the past and this has eaten into our funds considerably. So we are now asking all animal lovers to dig deep and contribute so that we can continue our work this winter.
In a few months there will be up to 20 collecting boxes in shops and businesses in Kalkan or alternatively money can be paid directly into our newly opened KAPSA bank account the details of which are as follows:
KAPSA, Ä°Åž BANKASI, KALKAN. Customer No.198749070, Account No.6276 32981

All help greatly appreciated. . .


Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=2302.0

[Wendy]

Well done Saskia, I''m sure that all of us will donate. We are there soon, 15th Sept. So we will see you then.
Good luck,
Wendy & Stevo.

[yoyo]

Hi Saskia, as mentioned on an earlier thread a few months ago I had started to save my spare change in the hope I would accumulate a bit to bring out with me.  I am due out on Monday  , I haven''t changed it at the bank yet but it looks as though I''ve done fairly well.  I will hand it over to Linda at Abi shortly after I arrive.

Also my work mate who donates to the RSPCA and Cats Protection via her wages every month has been very interested on what KAPSA are trying to do for the animals of Kalkan and has said she will give me a donation to bring over.

[misty]

I rescued a Tortoise from certain death on the road last week. It appears the new road has disturbed hundreds of them over the recent months. We have three living in the garden of the villa we rent....

[DawnT]

Hi Saskia

I wonder if it possible to set up a regular giving direct debit, could you let me know whether this could be done from our English account or whether if it would have to come from our Turkish account?

Also I''m due out there 16th Sept, and would be willing to bring anything that you may need from the UK, Ive already contacted my vets to see if there is anything that can do to help


Dawn

[kalcamp]

Hi saskia,
 Just a couple of questions if that''s ok
1 Do you live in kalkan
2 is kapsa in communication with the vets in Fethiye who come once a year to neuter and immunise the street animals
3 What communication with the mayor and municipality have you had and what is their response with regard to this organisation
4 Do you have an office or a contact person in kalkan where sick or distressed animals can be taken
5 Are you vets yourselves

[Bdancer]

Hi there to all those at KAPSA

I think the work you do is fantastic, we do always contribute when we are there, but it would be nice to be able to something more regular, so I too would be interested in knowing if it is possible to set up a direct debit from my UK account

ISIS

[Hoca]

Isn''t it time we had a cull like they used to with the baby seals when there were to many it would save a lot of time and effort

[itstime]

Sorry but that last post makes my stomach turn 

[Kalkan Magic]

mine too!

[Kalamar Bay]

Bit of a Berk arent you Hoca

[kalkanbelle]

I sincerely hope you are joking about culling animals.  If not then I find your comments truly sickening especially when so many people genuinely care about the stray cats and dogs in Kalkan and so much time and effort is being spent by those samaritans willing to help these unfortunate animals.  Perhaps you could make a contribution to help with neutering if you think there are too many?

[fidimax]

Hoca,If you would like to help in a cull,I know of a very nice pit bull on kalamar rd that would love to eat,oops sorry meet you !


                                   Fidi & Max. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Bdancer]

The culling comment is both unpleasant and offensive, especially to those who are trying desperately to both help and educate.
ISIS

[Random]

Hi Hoca,
I am hoping that you made your comment with the intention of playing Devil''s Advocate or perhaps you just get a kick out of shocking people (Each to their own!) However, either way I am surprised at you - as someone who has actually contributed to the problem of unwanted puppies by irresponsibly allowing one of your own dogs to give birth last year (some of the offspring are still roaming the streets of Kalkan now)  I would have thought that you might think twice about putting the idea of culling into peoples heads, after all it could be one of your little cuties that gets the chop

[coppers1]

Saskia,

What you are doing deserves nothing but praise.

We have two "rescue" greyhounds from Ireland as pets.
These beautiful, quiet, loving, obedient animals would have been "culled" if we had not taken them, as thousands are every year, in the Emerald Isle.
The reason for this is that they are bred for racing, and, if they don''t win, are destroyed in very inhumane ways, to make way for others who can make the owners some real money.
So, the mere mention of the term "culling" gets me really mad - even if it was only a joke Hoca, it was in very bad taste!!

In conclusion, I have never met anyone who neglects/mistreats animals, who is worth a damn!!!
No excuses, sob stories or any other reasons are acceptable for that sort of behaviour!

We are in Kalkan from 8th-22nd September and will most certainly contribute to your cause.

Well done kid  -  I just wish there were more like you!



Dave

[Enjoy Kalkan]

Saskia,

Please feel free to email me some wording / photos etc and I am more than happy to put a static link on the main website for you 

Jon

PS - Just to add whilst I realise many find Hocas comments distasteful the decision was taken not to remove it as it would no doubt be considered censorship and as already demonstrated many have responded accordingly.

[saskia]

Thanks to all those of you that have responded so positively.
In response to the questions asked by Kalcamp,
•   Yes most of the people involved do live in or near Kalkan or stay here for long periods at a time
•   We do work with several vets from Fethiye and one from KaÅŸ, and we organise the neutering of all the street animals. KAPSA as such was only set up this year as an official body but those involved have been doing this work for many years.
•   We have had many meetings with the Mayor over the years and he is supportive and very appreciative of the work we do, as he knows it benefits not only the animals but Kalkan as well.
•   No as yet we do not have an Office, neither do we have a permanent place for sick animals in general, however, when needs must many of us have taken in sick or wounded animals, or abandoned kittens and puppies. But as many of us work very long hours in the summer this is not always possible. But most of us are willing to help in any way that we can
•   And no we are not vets – if we were things would be so much simpler! (When I said we neuter the street animals, perhaps I should have said we have them neutered by vets)

In response to Hoca’s inane comment here are some quotes from The world Health Organization and SHKD an association dealing with the street animal problem all over Turkey

‘’Neuter And Return

There are only 3 ways to solve stray dog problems:

To kill or remove every single fertile bitch.
To remove the food source, i.e. somehow prevent animal lovers feeding unsupervised dogs and remove all rubbish from the streets so that the dogs starve to death. Or "Neuter and Return".

Extermination campaigns, for example the indiscriminate poisoning or shooting of dogs at night irrespective of whether they are neutered and vaccinated or indeed pets with owners, have never succeeded anywhere in the world.

‘Neuter and Return’, the policy advocated by the World Health Organisation and the World Society for the Protection of Animals, solves the problem permanently, although dogs have to be tolerated on the streets for 5-8 years for it to succeed. Providing it is implemented to the edge of the urban area it is however a permanent and humane solution which politicians can be proud of.

   
   "In the long term, control of reproduction is by far the most effective strategy of dog population management."   
W.H.O., Geneva, Guidelines for Dog Population Management, page 72. 
 
   ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“Neuter and Return’ must be implemented in conjunction with education campaigns to explain the importance of neutering, of vaccination and of preventing dogs from reproducing.’

http://www.shkd.org/en/neuter.html

Jon - Thanks we are working on a website at the moment and a link to EK would be great

[Hoca]

To Random no to all others first. Of course i don''t seriously think we should cull all the street animals i think That every one involved does a fine job and those that are involved will know that twice last winter a place for surgery was provided by myself for no gain other than to help. So in response to my remark please lighten up a little any one that bothers to read my rubbish will know that it is all tongue in cheek. Now random as you seem to know all about my pets you will know that the dog in question was a stray that had probably been abandoned by some caring Brit''s who decided leave. We then took her in paid for her vet''s bills as opposed to trying to get it done through the then unknown charity. When she was finally looking like a dog we took her back to the vet''s who informed us that she was pregnant long before she came to us and were told that she had gone a long way a bit to far to abort them. Hence she gave birth to 5 puppies of which we kept one another was sent to a caring English lady and is now on the streets i have not seen any of the other three. So before you talk about being irresponsible please find out a few more facts, you only have to ask. I do however support the view that there are to many dogs on the streets and they should be removed as unfortunately people now dump their unwanted in Kalkan thinking they will be well cared for by the charity. If they can cannot be homed then they should be destroyed just as they are in the U.K. And yes if this means that an offspring of my dogs is destroyed then so be it. My dog is now neutered again at my own cost as will be the other one when the time is right because actually we are not irresponsible dog owners and you will rarely see either of them out on the streets alone begging at tables or pissing on peoples hand bags. Thank-you and good night

[kamile]

I have to agree with Hoca.  While his first post may have been a little badly worded, what he says makes sense.  I too have done my bit, privately, caring & feeding.  How can KAPSA possibly hope to feed all the animals this winter?  Where were the feeding points last winter outside of the harbour & old town?  I would rather have the numbers reduced than let them starve & fight for what bit of food there is!