Kalkan street dogs

[kalkanview]

Sorry EK but a serious and simple question remains: why can't Kalkan control the street dogs as effectively as Kas or Fethiye, who I assume also operate within the Turkish law?

It should be said that it's not the dogs fault, the problem is caused solely by humans. However, I hope for the sake of the lovely people of Kalkan that the mayor consults with his neighbours and provides a solution acceptable to all before either a serious accident occurs, more inhumane culling takes place and/or the tourist numbers in Kalkan go down whilst those in Kas go up, affecting the living standards of Kalkan people.

I hope that any replies to this post are constructive and respect my entitlement to expressing an opinion especially as I am requesting a solution is found that benefits local people, tourists, ex-pats and the dogs themselves who are clearly vulnerable on the streets.   


Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=9534.0

[Dog control]

I agree with Kalkan view.

The dog problem - and it is a problem - is far better managed in Kas & Fethiye.

It is only a matter of time before someone has a serious accident on a motorbike because of dogs aggressively chasing it or a child is badly bitten. Will Kapsa and it's followers then organise a petition encouraging the Belediye to put these dogs down? I will support a comprehensive petition that seeks to deal with the lack of management of the dog population as well as condemning individual acts of poisoning, but not one that merely deals with the predictable, and bound to be repeated, consequences of management inaction.

Neutering dogs is part of the solution but if that's all that's done we will all have to live with some of the existing problem dogs for a long time. It also assumes that no new dogs will get dumped in Kalkan from afar.

How many unowned or badly owned dogs does Kapsa think Kalkan can support? Is the feeding programme a bottomless pit for money that could otherwise be spent on improving local schools and medical facilities?

[chickengeorge]

I doubt this thread will be allowed to go on as long as the poisoned dogs one!(even though I did ask that one to come to an end). The mayor went to Fethiye to see how they manage the dogs and it's clear that kennels are used(and the animals well looked after). However, if Kalkan had kennels out of town there would be fewer dogs on the streets and therefore people less inclined to donate to Kapsa.

[Dog control]

Thanks chickengeorge! It would be a step in the right direction.

[kalkanview]

Interesting point, I would think that if Kapsa managed or were involved with a well run dogs home that it would get more donations because both sides of the debate will see a reason for it.  Also local education and the neuter program in surrounding areas would still be just as relevant. 

[amber]

Dog control and Kalkan view - Dıd you contact EK to enquire ıf you could get access to previous posts re street anımals?

You again mention Kas and Fethıye wıth authority.However you also mention a bottomless pit for winter feedıng in Kalkan.In Kas, the dogs at the dogs home, require feeding 12 months of the year.Therefore money is spent, the whole year on food, not just the wınter months.

As an association funds are donated for the animals and must be accounted for.There are other fundraisers ın the town for children,schools etc.

In Fethıye the neuterıng programme has been running for many,many years.The dogs live on the streets and they have a TEMPORARY shelter provided by the local authorities.All thıs has been mentioned before many times and also recently on KTLN following our mayors visıt to Fethiye to gain insight into their work.Many of you will know Perihan and she has been in contact with us for a long time and supportive of our efforts.The authorities also operate a strict policy with owners.Kapsa are also in contact wıth the street animal charity there and their local vets.
So Fethiye are operating the same policies as Kapsa but with more support from their local authority re a temporary shelter,funding,extended neutering,owned dogs etc.
İsnt this what we need in Kalkan???

In Kas they have a dogs home although the Turkish Government is now coming away from this method of management as it does not provide a long term solution.The home is funded by donatıons and dogs are dumped there and ın the town on a very regular basıs.We are in regular contact with the volunteer who runs the place and aware there are 100 dogs.The dogs will live their whole life there, ıf unhomed they will not be put to sleep, as in the UK.Numbers will continue to grow as does their funding requirement.

Dog control and Kalkan vıew - contact me and we can get together over a coffee and share ıdeas and experiences.I am a volunteer for Kapsa,as you know and more than happy to talk about the animals.We can surely all work together for the benefit of Kalkan, both people and animals but that has to include the local authorities!!! Kapsa have been pushing for this for a long time.I hope that something positive can come out of this thread.

[Dog control]

So Kas are paying double for dog food but getting their dogs off the street - sounds great value to me. Probably sounds even better to the motorcyclist who comes off his bike or to the child that gets bitten and his/ her parents. Enough of the excuses for ineffective action!

[Kalkan Magic]

Like Isis, I rarely choose to comment on posts which are deliberately inflammatory such as the one above though on this occasion, I make an exception. You have been given a very detailed answer and have received a genuine offer to meet to discuss this in person though once again you prefer to be very, very rude in reply instead. Goodness knows why anyone who obviously feels so strongly about something would choose to discuss a topic (badly imho) on an open forum when you know who the person/people concerned are and could quite easily agree to a grown up conversation in Kalkan itself. How strange and seems to tell you all you need to know really.

[kalkanview]

Thanks for your informative reply Amber. I have no knowledge of the other areas other than visiting them and seeing for myself the very small number of dogs running around.

I would like to add for anyone reading this topic that Kalkan remains an absolute paradise, but a  solution is needed to keep it that way.   

Also when you spend a fair amount of time here and have to run the gauntlet of local groups of dogs to get to your villa who are only there because that is where the "Kapsa" chap feeds them then the frustrations build up and I am sure he was still feeding twice a day until a week or so ago at least?

To adopt the methods used in Fethiye or especially Kas would seem to be far preferable to where we are in Kalkan.  Seems to me that a dogs home albeit for the long term is more pleasant and safer for both the dogs and the local community.   

[Dog control]

I choose not to meet with Kapsa because I believe Kapsa is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Nothing on the forum persuades me otherwise. More neutering, more feeding, more innoculations but nothing new from Kapsa. The old formula clearly has not worked. Meanwhile there is an ever increasing numbers of dogs on the street harassing people and potentially causing injury.

Problem dogs need to be rounded up into a dogs home and kept off the streets. "Owners" need to be fined if they collect them from a dogs home and unclaimed problem dogs or repeat offenders need to be put down by the authorities.

Kalkan is a great place, let's manage the things that threaten that before the situation gets out of control.

[popps]

Dog Control: "Problem dogs need to be rounded up into a dogs home and kept off the streets. "Owners" need to be fined if they collect them from a dogs home and unclaimed problem dogs or repeat offenders need to be put down by the authorities."

Does that include the owners?

[KAPSA Kalkan]

Yet again we are going over old ground.

Dog control do you have evidence that the number of street dogs in Kalkan has gone up? If you have then perhaps you could share this with us as our records show no such thing.

You say that we are 'inactive' and yet you state that neutering the dogs is not working - well all the street dogs are being taken to the vet to be neutered, vaccinated and registered so how are they getting there and who is payingfor it?

What I find interesting is that whenever complaints are made about the dogs and management thereof  Kapsa is always somehow held responsible and yet we are the ONLY people actively doing something to lessen the problem! The belediye in Fethiye has been supporting the TNR programme there for 12 years now - of course the situation is going to be better there. The Fethiye belediye also enforce responsible ownership of dogs . . .

We are expected to answer the same questions again and again while certain people make no effort to understand what we are saying or doing and why.

We did not start the thread on the poisoned dogs we merely answered questions asked by people that were obviously concerned and naturally upset about what had happened.

We and many other people have a question that has been asked before but that has never been given an informed answer; that question is . . .

What would happen in Kalkan if KAPSA ceased to exist?

From now on please direct questions about Kapsa to Kapsa.kalkan@gmail.com and lets stop clogging up the EK forum with repetitive comments.
Thank you.

[Bdancer]

Well said Kapsa

Perhaps DG should start up his own organsiation, so he could arrange for "owners to be put down by the authorities, and control who people make charitable donations to, scary!

[amber]

Dog Control  - I am sorry that you choose not to meet.I just thought ıt mıght be useful.
Whılst I am a Kapsa volunteer,ıt doesnt stop me being perfectly able to listen to another persons opinions.I am also able to present information I have gained from various organisations and people.That includes those that have advised Fethiye in the past.

I would say agaın that the main difference in the way the street animals in Kalkan and Fethıye are managed is that in Fethiye they are lucky enough to have a belidye that understands the problems and has worked for years to solve them with the help of volunteers and their own staff too.

So get behind Kapsa in their efforts to get the local belidye ınvolved.It would make such a difference..............Isnt that what we all want?

[Mrs Enjoy Kalkan]

As Kapsa have said we are going over old ground again here so topic will be locked. Please refer to previous posts on this topic by using the search facility or for further information  contact Kapsa directly on email above.

Thanks