ANKARA 

Animal lovers across the globe united on April 4 to mark World Stray Animals Day to express their compassion and care for stray animals and act for their benefit.

In Turkey, it was yet another Thursday as stray animals are a natural part of people’s daily life and they were welcomed almost anywhere across the cities.

Anadolu Agency reporter joined dozens of animal lovers in Turkish capital Ankara and paid a visit to the "PawPark" shelter in Amrahor Valley, to feed some 500 stray dogs.

By the way, the group have been visiting the shelter on a daily basis since 2015.

Hulya Akcal, an animal lover, said there were some 50 dogs when the shelter was first established, but the figure amounted to 500 today, including dozens of puppies.

"Since the first day of PawPark, we have fed these dogs every single day. We use dog food, hundreds of kilograms of chicken to feed these animals. Sometimes we use our oven in the park to cook pasta for these animals," she said.

The PawPark was supported by volunteers, she went on to say, "However, that's not enough. We open 15 packages of dog food and deliver up to 300 kilograms (some 661 pounds) of chicken. We have ten other areas where we feed stray animals," she added.

While some people like interacting with stray animals, feeding them on the streets, some others argue that stray animals should be cared in a professional way to refrain from possible future problems, such as overpopulation.

Hasan Koc, a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience, said he likes Turkish people's compassion towards animals in general but there were issues that should be discussed.

"To castrate female stray cats and dogs is of great importance, this is a concrete and cost-effective method to deal with overpopulation. It will also increase the animal's life quality on the streets and reduces aggression level," he said.

When asked about the reasons for the increasing population of stray animals, "The answer is human attitude, I believe," he replied.

"Some people view animals as gifts for special days and occasions, then they get fed up with the responsibilities and abandon the animals in the streets," he said, urging animal adopters to be aware of responsibilities before adopting.

Koc went on to say that Turkey adopted a resolution in 2018 which requires domestic animals to have microchips under skin.

The adopters will be fined if they abandon domestic animals as per the resolution, which would be a deterrent, according to Koc.

Haci Nuri Dayi, 59, a homeless man, said he has been taking care of stray dogs for over a decade and his dogs were like children to him.

"To many people, these are just animals; but, to me, they are everything. I remember sharing my bread with them, hugging them to get warmer in harsh winter conditions," he said while petting three of his stray dogs -- Seytan (Satan), Garip (Poor) and Pasa, or Pasha.

"I used to live in the bus terminal of Ankara, but they did not allow my children [dogs] to live with me there. So, I left the place and preferred my boys; I have no regrets," he said.

Writing by Ali Murat Alhas