Yunusemre Mayor Semih Balaban, Ferdi Zeyrek Foundation President Nurcan Zeyrek, animal behavior expert and dog trainer Berker Arslan and the foundation's communication consultant Banu K. Zeytinoğlu came together at Manisa Animal Life Center, where approximately 4,500 paw-bearing friends are cared for. During the field visit, the living spaces in the center were examined, and the needs and possible work to further improve the living conditions of the animals were evaluated. During the visit; In addition to improving the physical conditions of the center, views were exchanged on increasing animal welfare, improving care and living spaces, and activities that could involve citizens more in the center. New Party Yunusemre District Chairman Yalçın Arcak, Metropolitan Municipality Veterinary Affairs Department Head Mehmet Bayram, Yunusemre Deputy Mayor Seyit Ali Özmen, Şehzadeler Deputy Mayor Emre Halil Esenkaya, relevant unit managers of the municipalities and Manisa Animal Life Center officials also attended the visit.
"THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE PLACE FOR ME"
Ferdi Zeyrek Foundation President Nurcan Zeyrek stated that Manisa Animal Life Center has a special meaning for her and shared her memories of the opening process of the center. Zeyrek stated that the center was one of Ferdi Zeyrek's dreams and said, "This is a very sensitive place for me. It was the place where Ferdi and I, together with Semih President, made the last opening on May 15, 2025. We were very excited while doing the opening. Because Ferdi wanted this to be a living center of international standards. This was the dream he wanted to realize."
VAKIFTA PATİLİ DOSTLAR İÇİN BAĞIŞ TOPLANACAK
Stating that they received many requests to improve the conditions of the center, Zeyrek announced that they, as Ferdi Zeyrek Foundation, will provide support in this direction through conditional donation method. Zeyrek stated that the support of animal lovers will be accepted through the account to be created under the name "Pati Friends" and said that the collected donations will be used to meet the identified needs. Stating that the work to be done will be shared with the public in a transparent manner, Zeyrek said, "A report will be sent to us on what we need to do to eliminate the deficiencies in order to improve this place, and what we can do from the most to the least need. We will meet the needs with the donations deposited to our 'Patili Dostlar' account, implement the on-site implementation ourselves, and make announcements transparently on our social media accounts." Zeyrek emphasized that the center is a very large area and there is a lot of work to be done, and stated that all stakeholders should contribute to increase the welfare of the animals. He stated that transforming the center into a living space that is more intertwined with people is among his goals in the future.
BAŞKAN BALABAN: "BÜYÜKŞEHİR VE ŞEHZADELER İLE BİRLİKTE SÜRECİ GÖTÜRECEĞİZ"
Yunusemre Mayor Semih Balaban stated that in addition to Yunusemre Municipality, Manisa Metropolitan Municipality and the late Ferdi Zeyrek also made significant contributions to the realization of the center. Thanking the sensitivity of Ferdi Zeyrek Foundation President Nurcan Zeyrek, President Semih Balaban drew attention to the importance of inter-institutional cooperation in order to bring the center to better conditions. Balaban said, "As he said, we opened this place with our esteemed team captain Ferdi Zeyrek Mayor on May 15, 2025. Yunusemre Municipality has a lot of effort here, but the Metropolitan Municipality and the Individual Mayor also have as much effort as Yunusemre Municipality." Stating that the process regarding the development of the Animal Life Center will be carried out together with Manisa Metropolitan Municipality and Şehzadeler Municipality, Mayor Balaban also thanked Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Besim Dutlulu and Şehzadeler Mayor Hakan Şimşek for their contributions.
BERKER ARSLAN: "HAYVAN REFAHINI ÖN PLANDA TUTACAĞIZ"
During the visit, animal behavior expert and dog trainer Berker Arslan, who examined the center's current situation in terms of animal welfare, drew attention to the work done by the center's employees and volunteers. Stating that he has been a dog trainer for about 20 years, Arslan said that they will carry out a study to evaluate and improve both the physical conditions and psychological needs of the animals at Manisa Animal Life Center. Arslan said, "Both the employees and volunteers do great work here. We will prioritize animal welfare and try to convey the physical and psychological conditions of dogs from a different perspective, what can be done better."
NEEDS WILL BE REPORTED, WORKS WILL BE PLANNED
Following the field inspection, the current needs of Manisa Animal Life Center will be comprehensively evaluated. It is aimed to plan the studies in line with the report, which will determine the priority needs to improve the living conditions of animals. While Ferdi Zeyrek Foundation is planned to support the process through conditional donation, the work to be carried out at the center is aimed to be carried out in cooperation with institutions, experts, volunteers and animal lovers.
