Dog Save The People

PART TWO - One of the most hot-button discussions in Turkey is how street dogs impact everyday citizens. Most people in cities like Istanbul are used to it, with a long tradition of living alongside them. However, in peripheral areas, there is not always as much support. When government municipalities started to push strays from city centers to outside suburban and rural areas, out of their natural environment, there have been a relatively small number of attacks and accidents. These have reportedly been sensationalized in the media, making it seem like a bigger phenomenon, and said to be weaponized by the government to instill fear. 

With the Turkish parliament passing the so-called ‘massacre law’ in July 2024, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government positioned it as a way to protect civilians from these stray dogs. However, in reality, this will be used as a way to significantly harm many strays. Animal rights activists have tried to present alternate solutions or volunteer their time and services, but so far the government has closed the door on that dialogue.  

In the second episode of this two-part series, we spoke to local guests about how much stray dogs would be missed from the streets and how the government should embrace the passionate and hard-working animal rights community to reach a better solution that still addresses the overpopulation problem while going about it safely and humanely.

The Turkish Parliament passed new legislation this summer that aims to remove all stray dogs from the streets by 2028, as these dogs are labeled by the government dangerous and causing harm to humans. This is a significant shift in policy in a country where street dogs have been embedded and accepted into its culture for centuries. Turkish animal welfare groups say in reality there are very few deadly dog attacks, but social media sensationalization and politicization of incidents have complicated debates. While everyone agrees there needs to be better plans to manage the country’s dog overpopulation, there is conflict on how to handle it. Animal advocates argue the 100,000 capacity in current shelters cannot humanely accommodate an estimated four million street dogs, calling the new stray dog legislation the “massacre law.” 

In the first episode of this two-part series, we explore the unique culture tradition of stray dogs living in Turkey, and discuss the problems and challenges around this new stray dog removal law.

We spoke to several guest experts about their perspective on Turkey’s stray dog dilemma with the new law. Guests include Elizabeth Lo (filmmaker), Nazlan Ertan (journalist), Lisanne Hillen (Melez Dog Rescue), and Ahmet Senpolat (HAYTAP, Animal Rights Federation).

Ben Moon is a photographer and filmmaker who has integrated his passion for the outdoors into his work, including as a longtime contributor to Patagonia with climbing and surfing imagery in particular. Dogs have always been part of Ben’s life, but it was after a divorce, living out of a car,  and then a colon cancer diagnosis at 29, that the companionship with his rescue dog Denali, a pit-husky mix, took on a new meaning. Their strong connection was highlighted in a 2015 short film called ‘Denali’ which honors his late dog and has amassed over two million views. As a follow-up, Ben then wrote a 2020 memoir, also entitled Denali, that took an even more introspective look at the power of their human-dog relationship. 

Now at a new life stage, with his 8-year-old rescue dog Nori, an Australian shepherd and husky mix, they have settled down in a beach house on the Oregon Coast. Ben is learning to appreciate the slow build and the benefits that come from settling down in one place.

Ben speaks about his life journey and dogs with Dr. Sharon Holland, an author and distinguished Professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina (UNC), as well as the host for Dog Save The People.