The street animal regulation prepared by the AKP has passed Parliament and become law

The 17-article 'Bill on Amendments to the Animal Protection Law', prepared by the AKP and including provisions for the killing of stray animals if they are not adopted, was accepted in the TBMM General Assembly with 275 votes against 224 'no' votes.

The second legislative year of the 28th Term in the TBMM ended with this law. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Celal Adan closed the session to reconvene on Tuesday, October 1, at 14:00.

With the proposal accepted by the votes of AKP and MHP deputies, the concepts of "owned animal" and "stray animal" will be clearly defined, as 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 in order for them to be classified as owned animals, to avoid any ambiguity in the work to be carried out regarding stray animals.

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 cases 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 may be made by a veterinarian to perform euthanasia. 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 procedures they carry out for stray dogs.

Mayors and council members who do not allocate 5 per thousand of their finalized budget revenues for municipalities with a population of over 25 thousand, and 3 per thousand for metropolitan municipalities, as well as mayors and municipal officials who do not spend the allocated resources for establishing animal shelters, collecting stray animals, rehabilitating them, or caring for them until they are adopted, or who spend these resources for other purposes, may be sentenced to imprisonment from six months to two years.

The acts of "abandoning stray animals collected on behalf of local governments to 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 the prohibition. 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.

Additionally, 20 deputies from the AKP and 21 from the MHP did not participate in the voting in the General Assembly.

Here is the table:

News Source: AA