Tomorrow, October 4, is World Animal Day. When we think of protecting animals, most of us think of cats and dogs. However, protecting animals does not only mean protecting the cats and dogs in our home. The real question is: Are we really protecting animals, or just animals that are close to us?
The story of October 4 goes back nearly a century. Awareness efforts initiated by German animal protection advocate Heinrich Zimmermann in 1925 led to October 4 being accepted as Animal Protection Day in 1931.
In the intervening years, humanity's view of animals has changed significantly. It was once claimed that animals did not feel pain, could not think, and had no emotions. Today, we know that animals can experience pain, fear and stress. The Brambell Report, published in 1965, also laid out the basic principles of animal welfare.
So the problem is not just "keeping the animal alive". The problem is how we keep it alive.
KILLING CANNOT BE THE SOLUTION
One of the important problems of Turkey today is the uncontrolled proliferation of stray dogs.
Ignoring this problem is not a solution either. Animals living on the streets face risks such as hunger, disease, traffic accidents and maltreatment. For humans, problems such as traffic accidents, bites, environmental pollution and some zoonotic diseases may occur. However, the existence of a problem does not require that every method be accepted as a solution.
According to official statements and public data, the homeless dog population in Turkey is estimated to be approximately 1 million 250 thousand after the duplicate records are eliminated. Again, in official statements, it was stated that 97 to 99.2 percent of the animals on the streets were collected.
On the other hand, according to various data announced by public institutions, there is information that the nursing home capacity in Türkiye is approximately between 200 thousand and 400 thousand.
When these data are evaluated together, an important question arises:
Where and under what conditions are all the animals said to have been collected found today?
How many are in nursing homes and how many are in natural habitats? How many were adopted? How many have been neutered and vaccinated? What is the number of animals euthanized?
These are legitimate questions that society may want to know.
Because removing an animal from our sight and protecting it are not the same thing.
HOW IS POPULATION CONTROL ACHIEVED?
In the past, the world tried to solve the homeless animal problem by mass killing methods. However, over time, it was seen that these methods did not provide permanent population control.
Today's scientific approach; It requires sterilization, vaccination, registration, adoption, prevention of abandonment, responsible animal ownership and effective control.
Because eliminating an animal does not eliminate the reproductive dynamics of the population.
Therefore, the solution to the uncontrolled proliferation of homeless animals is not mass killing; It is scientific, humane and sustainable population management.
DESTROYING OUR OWN PRODUCTION
There is a bigger contradiction here. As the human population grew, so did the number of cats and dogs we domesticated. On the other hand, the populations of many wild animals living in their natural habitats have decreased significantly.
Wolves, lions, big cats and other predators; Populations have declined to much smaller numbers than in the past due to habitat shrinkage, hunting and human pressure. On the one hand, we are narrowing the living spaces of animals in nature. On the other hand, we cannot control the number of animals we breed in our own living spaces, and then we look for a solution to the problem that arises. Can we talk about protecting animals without seeing this contradiction? Anatolia has hosted a rich wildlife for thousands of years.
Many species, such as the Anatolian leopard, wild ass, gazelle, mountain goat, hyena, brown bear and vulture, have been affected by human pressure, habitat loss and environmental changes. Some of them are now the story of the past, some are still waiting to be preserved.
For this reason, on October 4, not only the dog on the street; We should also talk about the wolf in the forest, the goat on the mountain, the vulture in the sky, and the gazelle in the steppe.
Because protecting animals is not just about protecting the animals that people love.
DON'T FORGET FARM ANIMALS
We use many animals, from cattle to sheep, goats, chickens and horses. We have to ensure that the animals whose meat, milk, eggs and labor we benefit from are well-being throughout their lives. Access to clean water, appropriate shelter, protection from disease and living conditions free from unnecessary pain and stress are essential elements of animal welfare.
Animal welfare is not just about the welfare of cats and dogs. October 4 should remind us of the responsibility of our relationship with animals. We must prevent the uncontrolled proliferation of stray animals with scientific methods, protect the habitats of wildlife and ensure the welfare of farm animals.
Because protecting animals means protecting not only their lives, but also the world they live in and therefore our own future.
DR. GÜLAY ERTURK
PRESIDENT GENERAL OF THE VETERINARY SOCIAL ASSOCIATION
