Poisoned dogs

[Tatilde]

We have a dog that visits us every time we come to Kalkan. She has done this since she was a puppy over 3 years ago. She was here at lunchtime today but has since wandered off again. I hope she is OK. We don't feed her but if she turns up later I will, so she might stay here out of danger.

[HolmfirthNicky]

I am appalled and heartbroken to read this thread. Whatever your views on the street dogs this is a barbaric act of cruelty and these poor animals must have suffered so much. I also would gladly contribute to  helping Kapsa with a reward fund, do these people not realise they could be harming tourism in Kalkan? I really hope these people are caught before any more animals suffer.

[HolmfirthNicky]

Just seen the photos on Ktln, heartbreaking especially to see the yellow tags in the ears knowing that it's previously been helped by Kapsa. My heart goes out to all involved in Kapsa , it must be soul destroying seeing this after all the good/hard work they do. As one post says please stay strong kapsa and please, please keep up the good work you do. Like i say i know not every one has the same views on the animals but this is just barbaric. I hope and pray they catch the sick person/people involved before they can do more damage.

[Lantana]

We have just returned from the Calis Spring fair where we took a stall to raise funds for KAPSA.  Our enjoyment of the day was completely overshadowed by this terrible act.  The poisoned dogs  have been loved and cared for by so many people and they had a right to life just as all humans do.

We have lived here for 12 years and in that time have adopted 12 street dogs who have been injured, mis-treated or abandoned.  The joy we get from these dogs is indescribable.  As I write this, they are all around me, our cats are waiting for dinner and all is peace and harmony.

We made a major commitment to Turkey in 2000. We chose to live here in a country which we love but we did always have concerns about the treatment of animals.   However,  on the whole we  have been heartened by the decrease in the acts of animal cruelty here over the years since the last major poisoning in 2003.  We were further heartened when Kapsa was formed and we saw so many people of all nationalities in this community work together to promote the welfare of animals.

My first reaction this morning on hearing the news was to want to get as far away from here as possible, how could we continue to  live in a community where such things happen.?

But on reflection, I know that would be a mistake.  All our Turkish friends and neighbours are as shocked and outraged as we are by this deliberate act of mindless cruelty.

They believe that a person who can so can so casually poison animals,  and who has not cared about their suffering or the possible consequences of a child picking up the poisoned food and being seriously ill or dying, has committed a terrible sin.

We know that barking dogs annoy people, it annoys me when ours bark.  We know that in the area where the poisoned food was distributed, near the Samira de luxe Hotel, there are many street dogs and they no doubt do disturb people from time to time but nothing could ever excuse this.  If this has been done as some mad scheme to keep tourists and residents happy (no more disturbed nights) then it has very seriously backfired.

So, after the initial tears and sadness at the loss of so many dogs we knew and loved, our commitment to remaining here and continuing to care for as many animals as we possibly can  is now stronger than ever because we believe that we must all work together to ensure that something like this never happens again.

Lantana

[JenJen]

I only popped online to look at the webcams, wish I hadn't now     I really hope someone can identify the scum who did this before they cause any more suffering.  On another note, I hate the idea of never finding out who did it and potentially spending money in their shop or restaurant etc.

[Kalkan Magic]

I have always been fearful of reading of some grossly inhumane act like this but hoped it would never happen. I hope all involved in Kapsa are coping with this and that they don't lose sight at all of everything they have achieved. I'm sure they don't need me to say what fantastic work they do, day in day out, month in, month out to keep as many of the street dogs and cats feeling unconditionally loved and cared for. I, like everyone else, hope dearly that those responsible are found and punished (though any punishments would be too kind!) as it is inconceivable to think that we could be contributing to any business they may work for or own. Someone must know and they must come forward as soon as possible.

[maryjane]

Lantana, what a superb post.

[KAPSA Kalkan]

Thank you all for your words of support. Sorry we not have commented on this horrendous act until now but many of us (at KAPSA) have been busy looking for those dogs still missing and also trying to find out if anyone had witnessed anything suspicious in the area. Many people have theories about who may have been responsible for this atrocity but until we have actual proof it would be wrong to name names. In 2003 one local business man went to great pains to try to poison all the street dogs in Kalkan and sadly was rather  successful; more than 50 dogs died in excruciating pain. Sometime later we learnt who had been responsible for that despicable act but by then it was too late to do anything about it. Naturally, that person is one of 2-3 possible suspects. Of the missing dogs only two have now not been accounted for, the others have all been seen today and all are well.
I sympathise completely with those people that feel like that this has put a damper on their love of Kalkan, but I really cannot stress strongly enough that there are really very few people here capable of this kind of cruelty. Most people in Kalkan are as shocked and saddened by what has happened as we are. Last night literally dozens of people called us or went to see if they could be of any help. Many were extremely upset indeed. EVERYONE wants the perpetrators caught and punished. Despite what some people may think most Turkish people are truly horrified at the thought of dogs or cats being killed in any way at all and really do feel it is a sin (Günah)  for this reason offering a reward could possibly offend some people.
So instead of contemplating not coming back to Kalkan please help us to put pressure on the powers that be – the Belediye, the Jandarma, the Governor of Kaş and the Ministry of Tourism - let’s make our feelings heard and let them know that if this kind of crime goes unpunished it will eventually put many people off coming to Kalkan and Turkey.
We are putting together a petition in English and Turkish and hope that hundreds of people will sign it. If you are in Kalkan we will tell you later today where you can go to sign it, if you are elsewhere you will be able to sign our petition and let your feelings be known either through our Friends of  Kapsa facebook group or on Enjoy Kalkan.
In the meantime, if you are staying at the Samira Deluxe or in that vicinity please be vigilant and if you have small children or pets of you own please keep them close to you – we don’t yet know whether there is any more poison lying around.

[HolmfirthNicky]

Excellent posts Lantana and Kapsa. We would not let this horrendous act of cruelty stop us coming to Kalkan as Kapsa needs all the help it can get with tourists and despite these events we still love the place plus cruelty happens world wide on a daily basis. Sorry to read your post Bluelizard, you will be missed if you dissapear from the forum.
Will we be able to sign the kapsa petition next week when we're over?

[maryjane]

I am abandoning Kalkan, sooner stay at home, esp. with tropical temps at the moment.  Will never stop supporting KAPSA, just hope the Royal Mail/DHL/whoever the carriers are, deliver my pressies!!!!!  Will get my goodies, donated from my UK vet, out there, come hell or high water.  Isle of Wight seems a good bet at the mo!!!    

[Kalkan regular]

Although not particularly a dog lover I do not wish them harm and I am really sorry for the horrible event and the suffering caused to the dogs and can only echo other posters views that the person who did it is caught soon and given an equally horrible treatment.

I am aware however that cruelty (to humans as well as animals) happens in other places in Turkey and indeed many other countries in the world, including the UK. Because we have KASPA, KTKN and this site we are aware of it which wouldn't be the case in other places. I know we have visited places we considered to be paradise but they may have had a dark side of which we were in blissful ignorance. If we vote with our feet then we are punishing all the lovely locals who are as disgusted as we are.

[dancing ninja]

I too am seriously considering this to be my last visit in August , me and my family are animal lovers and I will not support this kind of cruelty .

[kalkan4eva]

We love Kalkan and have been looking forward to our visit in a week or so, but this does put a huge downer on things. I really really hope they find who did this really quickly and they are dealt with appropriately as I fear, the posts of BL, dancing ninja and Mary Jane will not be isolated posts 

[tiamaria]

I knew most of the dogs that died yesterday and the people who helped to look after them. they will all be sadly missed by nearly every one on this hillside. And yes i've cursed them, when they all start barking and chasing the cars and bikes.
 When I'm here i feed some of the cats in Kiziltas, when I go back to the uk I leave food for a friend to feed them for me.
 These animals need us to help them and Kapsa, they need us to help stamp out this mindless killing and to give them a chance of a decent life, with our help, effection and kindness, they survive and thrive. Don't let one or two mindless morans spoil what chance of normal life these street animals have.

[KAPSA Kalkan]

Please do not stop coming to Kalkan because of this. Incidents like this are thankfully rare in Kalkan because so many people are aware of how tourists and regular visitors feel about the animals here. In greece and Spain and many other countries  hundreds of animals are poisoned, shot and suffer unimaginable cruelty every year. The difference is that because such occurances are commonplace there they rarely hit the headlines. Here in Kalkan we stand up for our animals and condemn loudly any people that treat them badly. Kapsa relies almost entirely on public donations and in the main animals are safe here because most people understand that cruelty will not be accepted. Such horrible events could ultimately kill tourism here and then what would happen to all our 4 legged friends?. If you stop coming who will stand up for these animals.

[KAPSA Kalkan]

BELDEMİZ KAMU YÜKSEK YETKİLİLERİNE
26.05.2012 tarihinde Kalkan Kızıltaş mevkii Samira deluxe Otelinin çevresinde saat 21.00 dolaylarında gerçekleşen hepimizi derinden üzen ve de tedirgin eden 5 köpeğimizin hayatına mal olan, sokakta yaşayan diğer kediler, köpekler içinde tehdit teşkil eden, bizler ve çocuklarımızın da hayatlarına mal olabilecek şekilde etrafa bilinçli olarak bırakılan bazı zararlı maddelerle ilgili faillerin bulunması ve bu tarz olayların tekrarlanmaması için makamınızın ilgili çalışmaları yürütmesini talep ediyoruz.
Gereğinin yapılmasını arz ederiz.


PETITION:
TO THE AUTHORITIES OF KALKAN, KAŞ AND ANTALYA,
At approximately 21.00 hours on 26th of May 2012 an incident occurred that shocked and saddened us deeply. In the immediate vicinity of the Samira Deluxe Hotel, Kızıltaş, Kalkan  5 well known street  dogs were deliberately poisoned.  The obvious threat to the other cats and dogs in the area and even children is naturally a serious concern to everyone. We request that the authorities do everything in their power to find the perpetrators and prevent such atrocities happening again.
We respectfully urge that appropriate action be taken immediately.

Please sign here and make your feelings known:

If you are in Kalkan you can sign the petition at Azyra Homes just up from The Kaya restaurant, Vessila & Brako and Cafe Leon. (We may add other places later. Thank you.

[Charlie]

KAPSA Kalkan as I am not in Kalkan now can I copy the paragraph below and send via email to the relevant authorities?  If so, I'd be most grateful if you would let me know the correct email address. 

Is there any news on the other two missing dogs?

Thank you.

[amber]

Please do not stop coming to Kalkan because this has happened.My first reaction was that I wanted to leave and never come back.but its a wonderful place and when I saw and heard the reaction of the locals and ex-pats alike I realised ıt was the act of an isolated one or few and did not reflect the feelings of the vast majority.So many people were ın tears when they heard what had happened and are determined to find out who did it.
From the photos you can see they were healthy,neutered dogs that would have had rabies vacinations and were fed regularly by locals and used to people.The sort of dogs that were loved by locals and vısitors alike.I have seen many comments on the internet from tourists who had met these dogs and were so sad to hear what had happened to them.
Lets not let these poor dogs die so horribly and painfully for nothing.I will work with the authorities to do everything we can to find out who did this and in the meantime continue to care for the others.I know animals cant speak but I am sure thats what they would want.

[Bexscho]

Is there anyway this can be signed online?

I will still be coming to Kalkan and the dogs are all part of my holiday.  A couple of years ago two of them would often walk me and my friend back to our apartment and once we were at our door they would leave.  It was like they were guiding us back safely. We love them all.
 
Keep up the good work Kapsa and we will be back in August to see our four legged friends.

[Blue Lizard]

I have removed my post..i felt on reflection Kalkan has recieved a big enough kick in the whatsits without me adding negativity...Thank goodness for the kind hard working and caring people of Kapsa...without them i dread to think what it would be like! an online petition would be great for those who aren't out for a while ..i will be signing next week