Breaking News: Circular on stray animals from the Istanbul Governor's Office! 'With schools set to open soon...'

The Istanbul Governor's Office has made an important announcement regarding stray animals shortly before the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

The document, prepared under the signature of Governor Davut Gül, was sent to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the district governorships of 39 districts.

The circular emphasized that with the end of the summer holidays, stray dogs roaming in packs, particularly in certain regions, pose a risk to the safety of citizens. The statement said, "Complaints regarding stray animals continue to reach our Governor's Office, and with the summer holidays ending and schools set to open soon, dogs roaming in packs, especially in certain regions, pose a threat to the safety of our citizens. It is assessed that these complaints and grievances will increase with the opening of schools."

Stating that efforts regarding stray animals must be accelerated, the Governor's Office included the following expressions:

"I kindly request your information and necessary action regarding the urgent execution of collection activities for stray animals within the framework of current legislation in all areas where our citizens are densely present throughout our province, especially around school vicinities, in terms of environmental health, public order, and public safety."

"WITH SCHOOLS SET TO OPEN SOON..."

The Governor's Office statement drew attention to the Animal Protection Law No. 5199, which entered into force on July 30, 2024, and the regulatory amendments published in the Official Gazette on December 13, 2024. It was recalled that according to the legislation, stray animals must be collected by local governments and taken to shelters.

It was stated that the provisions in Article 7 of the regulation, along with Article 6 of the law, clearly assign this responsibility to local governments. Furthermore, it was noted that the commission established following these regulations held its first meeting on March 10, 2025, and that inspections have been ongoing every month since that date.

At the end of the statement, the following expressions were reiterated:

"In this context, I kindly request your information and necessary action regarding the urgent execution of collection activities for stray animals within the framework of current legislation in all areas where our citizens are densely present throughout our province, especially around school vicinities, in terms of environmental health, public order, and public safety."

News Source: 12punto