Sixty-eight dogs, including 23 puppies, found locked in basement of Ankara apartment

Duvar English

Sixty-eight dogs, including 23 puppies, have been rescued from the basement of an apartment in Ankara's Keçiören district, the local governor's office said on Dec. 2.

The dogs, living in a state of neglect, were located upon a tip-off, the governor's office said.

The dogs were handed over to the Keçiören municipality's department of environmental protection and control.

The authorities have imposed a total administrative fine of 12,308 Turkish liras (181 liras for each dog) on one suspect in relation to the incident as per Law No. 5199, the Animal Protection Law. Also, a judicial investigation has been launched into the incident.

Turkish animal rights activists have been for years urging lawmakers to vote for a long-awaited legislation that will expand rights of animals, amid cases of violence against animals.

Officials from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said earlier this year that a draft bill could be voted on within months, but no action has been so far taken.

The new legislation aims to respond to public outcry following a series of animal murders, with many of the perpetrators getting administrative fines only, as the Turkish law sees the abuse of animals as simply a “property violation.”

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