Bill dubbed 'massacre law' by the public has been passed

The bill will introduce amendments to the Animal Protection Law. Accordingly, the phrase "provided that human, animal and environmental health are taken into account" will be added to the objectives of the Law.

In the work to be carried out regarding stray animals, in order to avoid any ambiguity and because there is a requirement to register cats and dogs in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry database under the Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law so that they can be classified as owned animals, the concepts of "owned animal" and "stray animal" will be clearly defined.

In order to avoid ambiguity in practice and due to the removal of the "catch-neuter-release" method in the Law, a harmonization change will be made to the definition of an animal shelter. The definition of an animal shelter will be changed to "a facility established with permission from the Ministry where animals are housed and rehabilitated until they are adopted."

Since stray and disabled animals will be collected in animal shelters and cared for there until they are rehabilitated and adopted, the principle will be adopted that caring for an animal outside of shelters is only possible by taking on its legal responsibility through adoption. The phrase "Pets have the freedom to live within the living conditions specific to their species. The lives of stray animals should also be supported just like owned animals," which is among the principles of the Law, will be repealed.

It will be essential to encourage and coordinate real and legal persons who wish to adopt stray and disabled animals without any financial gain or interest, solely out of humanitarian and conscientious responsibilities, and who meet the conditions stipulated in the Law.

Local governments, in cooperation with voluntary organizations, will establish animal shelters to care for stray animals until they are adopted, provide for their care and treatment, and conduct educational activities.

Dogs that are rehabilitated after being taken into animal shelters will be housed in these places until they are adopted. In order to provide accurate and up-to-date data, animals taken into animal shelters will be registered in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry data system.

INCENTIVES AND ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES

For dogs taken into shelters that pose a danger to the life and health of humans and animals, whose negative behaviors cannot be controlled, that have contagious or incurable diseases, or whose ownership is prohibited, the provisions of Article 9 of the Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law will be applied: "It is forbidden to perform euthanasia on animals. However, in cases of diseases that cause pain and suffering to animals or where there is no possibility of recovery, for the purpose of preventing or eradicating an acute contagious animal disease, or in situations that pose a risk to human health, or in cases where behaviors pose a danger to the life and health of humans and animals and negative behaviors cannot be controlled, a decision to perform euthanasia may be made by a veterinarian. The euthanasia procedure is performed by a veterinarian or under the supervision of a veterinarian."

Local governments will be authorized to take necessary administrative measures within the scope of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals regarding the work and transactions they carry out concerning stray dogs.

It will be made possible for interventions to be performed on animals not only for medical reasons but also in other exceptional cases included in the Law.

The acts of "abandoning stray animals collected on behalf of local governments in a place other than a shelter or leaving a dog housed in a shelter in a place other than the shelter" will be included within the scope of prohibited acts. Thus, it is aimed to ensure the implementation of the provisions regarding the collection of stray animals, taking them to animal shelters, and caring for these animals within the animal shelter until they are adopted, and to ensure that local governments fulfill their duties and responsibilities completely.

In addition to the work carried out for the protection of stray animals, identifying problems arising from stray animals and producing solution proposals for these problems in order to protect human, animal and environmental health will be added to the duties of the Provincial Animal Protection Board.

With the regulation, the scope of support to be provided to other relevant institutions and organizations, especially local governments, will be expanded. Accordingly, incentives or financial support in amounts deemed appropriate by the Ministry will be provided to other relevant institutions and organizations, especially local governments, to establish shelters, hospitals and operating rooms for the purpose of protecting human, animal and environmental health; to procure medicines, tools and equipment related to these; and to carry out activities such as care, rehabilitation and adoption in shelters.

ALLOCATIONS CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE

Persons who act contrary to the provisions for the protection of animals or who seriously neglect the care of the animals they have adopted or cause them pain, suffering or harm will be prohibited from keeping animals by the authority authorized to inspect, and their animals will be confiscated. Those of the animals in question that are suitable for adoption will be housed in an animal shelter until they are adopted.

In order to ensure deterrence, the administrative fine for the misdemeanor of an owner abandoning their owned animal will be increased from 2 thousand liras to 60 thousand liras per animal. Those who abandon stray animals collected on behalf of local governments in a place other than a shelter or leave an animal housed in a shelter in a place other than the shelter will be fined 50 thousand liras per animal.

Metropolitan municipalities, provincial municipalities, and municipalities with a population exceeding 25 thousand will establish animal shelters for the purpose of protecting stray, disabled, or dangerous animals and ensuring their care and rehabilitation until they are adopted. The specified animals will be taken to the animal shelter by the relevant municipalities. Municipalities that are not required to establish an animal shelter and special provincial administrations will take these animals in their area of responsibility to the nearest animal shelter.

Mayors and council members who do not allocate the specified resources, as well as mayors and municipal officials who do not spend the allocated resources on establishing animal shelters, collecting stray animals, rehabilitating them, or caring for them until they are adopted, or who spend these resources for other purposes, will be sentenced to imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years.

The municipalities in question will be obliged to establish the specified animal shelters and improve the conditions of existing shelters by December 31, 2028.

Municipalities will allocate 0.5 percent of their final budget revenues by December 31, 2028, to establish animal shelters, carry out rehabilitation procedures, and care for stray animals until they are adopted. This rate will be applied as 0.3 percent in metropolitan municipalities. The allocated appropriations cannot be used for any other purpose.

Cat and dog owners will be required to register their animals using digital identification methods by December 31, 2025, at the latest.

Since the bill aims to ensure there are no stray animals on the street in need of care and protection, the provision regarding "local animal protection officers" in the Animal Protection Law will be repealed.

Opposition deputies reacted to the passing of the bill.

News Source: AA