Stray animals in flood-hit Turkish town waiting for return of missing friend

Duvar English - Anadolu Agency 

Stray animals in the Bozkurt district of Turkey’s Kastamonu - the worst-hit flood area- are waiting for the return of the missing restaurant owner woman who fed them.

On Aug. 11, all workplaces and many houses were flooded with mud, and buildings were destroyed after the flooding of the Ezine Stream. Dozens of residents are still missing.

One of those who disappeared in the flood disaster in the district is Arife Er, who ran a restaurant with her husband on Sınarcık Street.

Known for loving stray animals and feeding them, Er's favorite dogs and cats do not leave the couple’s restaurant and are waiting patiently.

Some of the residents took the animals and wanted to give them food, but the animals rejected the food and returned to the heavily damaged döner restaurant.

Veli Yanık, who runs a shop on the same street, said that Arife Er was an animal lover and she used to feed the stray animals.

“The husband and wife used to like the animals a lot. We don't know if the wife was swept away by floodwaters or submerged in mud in storage underground. The cat is grieving for her and it cries for her,” said Yanık. 

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