KAPSA and the street animals of Kalkan urgently need your help

[saskia]

Thank you Dawn T and MSR for your suggestions about collection boxes in villas, unfortunately this is not possible as the law is very specific on this subject. We have to apply in writing to Antalya stating the address/location of each box and the person responsible and we have to state that the box will not be left unattended at any time and that the Jandarma may come to check the location for suitability and security. So all in all it is a nice idea but not feasible.  However, any willing villa owners could put something in their information packs telling their guests about the work KAPSA do and how they can help if they are so inclined. Perhaps we at KAPSA could produce a flyer of some kind if people feel it would be useful, I will speak to the other members about this.

Regarding the article in the Turkish Daily News, yes Turkey should be proud of their far reaching and highly detailed animal rights law 5199, much of which was written and instigated by Perihan Agnelli of the Fethiye dog’s home with whom we have worked closely with for many years. However, any law is only as good as its implementation.  The Mayor of Kalkan, who has always been supportive of our work at KAPSA, is aware of the law and is looking into the possibilities of official funding for neutering programs
  For those interested the entire law can be read in English at the following link. http://www.haytap.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=603&Itemid=3278

And for those who don’t want to read the entire law here are some extracts that you may find interesting:

Principles 

      ARTICLE 4 � The fundamental principles relating to the protection of animals and their welfare are as follows;
a) All animals are born equal and have a right to life within the framework of the provisions of this Law
b) Domesticated animals have the freedom to live according to the living conditions specific to their species.  The lives of ownerless animals should be supported in the same way as those of animals with owners.
c) The necessary measures must be taken in order to protect, supervise and care for animals and shield them from maltreatment

ARTICLE 6 � It is forbidden to kill ownerless or incapacitated animals, apart from the situations set forth in the Animal Health Police Law no. 3285.
It is a principle that animals that have been sterilised, vaccinated and rehabilitated will be registered and released into the environment that they were taken from.

ARTICLE 14 � The following actions in relation to animals are banned:
f) To slaughter or kill animals other than slaughter animals, hunting animals which are permitted to be hunted or to be produced as slaughter animals in special production farms within the framework of Law no. 4915 and wild animals which are subject to trade, for their meat and to offer this to the market,

[Lougie]

Hoca, I agree with you on all points you have made.

Yes all the work that KAPSA does is brilliant and the animals do need to be looked after, feed etc but can somebody please say how neutering the dogs is going to help, what about the number of dogs that are already there, what''s going to be done with them?

I find it very strange that everyone is ignoring points about people being hurt by the dogs or even worse a child being hurt, is an animals life more important than a child''s.

[kalkankediler]

One idea for donations came from a kind owner who has committed to give a percentage of the income he earns from rentals to helping the street animals of Kalkan. Maybe other property owners that rent out their places during the summer might like to think about doing the same?

This person and another friend also donate to the school/children of Kalkan, so just because people want to help the animals, it does not exclude them helping children/people.

[alantj]

If as has been quoted in an early post (and I have heard previously), the size of any feral animal population depends solely on the available food supply, doesn''t any provision of food just make the problem worse. As no matter how much food you provide the population will just grow until it is not enough and starvation again controls the numbers.

If the above is true the only practical way to control the population is to restrict access to food so that feral animals are not attracted to the town and the population reduces.



 





   

[msr]

I don''t think anyone is ignoring the point of people or children being bitten by dogs, and no one is saying that an animals life is more important than a childs, but this situation of feral animals does exist in Kalkan and unless it is addressed will only get progessively worse. Once an animal is neutered they become a lot calmer, they lose the ''pack'' element and can be re housed and with a bit of education the local people will understand why this is the best policy. It will stop an influx of even more kittens and puppies being born and then left to the mercy of street living.

I would have thought even people who are not particularly fond of animals can see the benefits.
One of the problems Kalkan is facing is that a lot of neighbouring villages are bringing their dogs and just dumping them on the streets as they have heard that there is an organisation that will take care of them! The cat population has certainly reduced and this is due mainly to the neutering programme.We may not live there throughout the winter but packs of starving dogs roaming the streets does not bear thinking about.

[DawnT]

Saskia

What a shame about my suggestions of the collecting boxes, not to worry I know what the laws are like having worked as a fundraiser for a Children''s Hospice for 3 years!!  Great Idea about the information flyer, I would be more than willing to put one in my information pack.  Also, as I said I will be in Kalkan 16th Sept, so if there is anything you need, please let me know.

Dawn

[foreverkalkan]

I think Lougie meant protecting people/children. Are the dogs that are re-homed then let out on the streets to roam free and just go back to be feed, is this not the same as a stray and part of the problem. Hands up ''who let your dogs out''..whoof whoof whoof

[felicity]

Hi Saskia - in the absence of boxes - flyers would be great - I would be happy to have some in my information pack - my guess is so will the majority of other property owners!   

[Random]

Hello everyone, I feel I must again comment on this topic. Surely the whole point of this thread being started by Kapsa was that they are aware that there is problem and are, at least, trying to do something about it.
 We cannot just get rid of all the street animals in case someone gets hurt, if everything that could be seen as a possible danger to people was to be banned there would be no cars on the road, no alcohol, no swimming pools, no planes, in fact there would be no tourists in Kalkan in the first place because they wouldn''t have been able to get here.

Lougie – if you had read and understood any of the very informative posts written by Saskia you wouldn''t be asking what is the point of neutering.

Alantj – When you read that post about the number of animals depending on the amount of food available did you not notice that the next paragraph said, and I quote’ If however the carrying capacity of an area is filled with sterile animals the population will gradually die out, providing no fertile dogs can infiltrate from surrounding areas’ isn''t this what Kapsa is trying to do?

Hoca – Of course witnessing a dog fight is a an unpleasant and frightening experience and you say that it is a bad advert for the town, yet you then go on to say subservient less healthy’ animals cause fewer problems than healthy ones. But what kind of advert would that be for Kalkan? So many people say that they enjoy coming here because the street animals are so healthy unlike in  many other places ie Greece and Spain.

Finally all this talk about ‘feral’ animals, today I looked up the dictionary definition of ‘feral’
Etymology : Medieval Latin feralis, from Latin fera wild animal, from feminine of ferus wild;
1. wild, untamed; brutal. feral man.
2. Wild; untamed; ferine; not domesticated; said of beasts, birds, and plants.

How many animals in Kalkan really can be called feral?

[foreverkalkan]

I agree with you Hoca, we wouldnt see it on the streets of England,

[holidayfever]

In the uk strays are the responibility of the dog warden not the r.s.p.c.a they would round then up put them in Kennels for 1 week and if not claimed then they are put down by injection, sad but true, and whilst I used to enjoy the company of some of the street dogs in Kalkan glad they arent roaming my uk street. I would hate to see then die of starvation or slowley poisened but a gentle injection although so sad sometimes is the only options. And why Kalkans strret dogs seem greater then other resorts I dont know

[itstime]

point taken Forever Kalkan maybe "we wouldn''t see it on the streets of England" I don''t know as I''m not English. Point is we''re not discussing the streets of England we''re talking about Kalkan and don''t think it''s comparable.
The entire animal welfare issue in Kalkan is something that I can''t speak on with any authority. I have to rely on the informed opinions of residents, who, armed with a working knowledge of both the local problems and the legislative framework surrounding animal welfare in Turkey, are trying to do what they can to resolve the problems in what would appear to be the most humane way possible.
The only way I can contribute is to donate what I can in an attempt to resolve the situation. Every one must reach their own conclusions and decide whether to support the cause or not.

John,
 again I''m not certain that it''s even possible to compare what would happen in the UK. I suppose the animal welfare organisations, of which there are many, would be involved at some point. Also local councils have some responsibility and I believe that many councils have dog warden schemes who will "remove" any dogs from the area to a local pound awaiting them being claimed from the irresponsible owners who allowed them to roam in the first place.

A truly perplexing problem and one which unfortunately seems to have no quick and easy answer.
I have to add that in many years of visiting Kalkan, I have only ever had pleasure from the street animals and enjoy meeting up with old "friends" year after year. That isn''t to say that others haven''t had less pleasant experiences.

[alantj]

Random,

That is obviously true but how can you stop other animals either moving into Kalkan or being dropped off from other areas. This year I did get the feeling that the number of loose dogs was higher than in previous years.
     

[saskia]

I appreciate that this is an emotive topic and we are never all going to agree about the solution. However, if a long term solution is to be found we at KAPSA firmly believe that the one offered by the World Health Organization is the most effective and humane. And surely with all their experience they should know better than us.

One thing is certain, that until we get out to the villages and attack the problem at its root no amount of euthanasia is going to solve the problem in Kalkan. Put to sleep 10 dogs this month and another 20 will arrive in the next two.

I’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to give their opinions, and a big thank you to all those who support what we are trying to do and have promised to help in any way. Hopefully, the pennies will start rolling in and this winter we will be able to make a difference

[Hannah]

I believe the cat population was reduced far more by a virus that spread amongst them last winter than by the neutering policy, good as that may be.

Surly if every single animal in Kalkan were to be neutered, & no new ones brought in (impossible I know), it would still be 8 to 10 years before we saw a marked reduction in the numbers?

Perhaps if there were a policy of putting to sleep injured animals, instead of operating on them & putting them back out on the street, that may be a small start to reducing numbers now.

[foreverkalkan]

I agree with you Hannah although I think most people on here would''nt.
I don''t understand why if 10 dogs are put down then another 20 would come in 2 months, would''nt they anyway?

[Hannah]

Thank you Foreverkalkan, I thought I may get shouted down for that one! 

[Hoca]

Please note the post''s in 1st time in Kalkan section.
Then tell me that the ammount of street animals is not a problem for all

[Hoca]

I am not saying "see i told you so" i am trying to emphasise a point. I know you can''''t "cull" animals, people don''''t seem to realise that the statement was made to bring attention to the problem which it did.

[Lougie]

There is a simple solution to half the problem, dog owners, stop letting your dogs run wild & letting them roam the streets, keep them in your own house / garden, especially the person who owns the red setter, I saw it go for a women for no reason!

If dog owners didn''t let their dogs act like strays then the population on the streets could be significantly reduced.