Spaying, tagging, and microchipping services for stray animals by Hopa Municipality

Hopa Municipality has started neutering, earring, and microchipping street dogs. In Hopa district of Artvin, Municipal Veterinarians along with volunteers have started the neutering process of street dogs today. Initially, neutering, earring, and microchipping procedures were carried out on male dogs in the shelter. Hopa Municipality Mayor Utku Cihan expressed that controlling street animals can be achieved by neutering them, stating, ‘We estimate that there are around 300 street dogs. With this work, we will also create an inventory. Therefore, one aim of this work is that. We will determine the exact number. We will identify not only the ones roaming on the streets but also those in our gardens. We have animals that live halfway in the house and halfway in the garden. We will also make calls for their neutering. At the same time, we want to support the neutering of our pets at home. Only by neutering all street animals, those in the gardens, and those at home in Hopa, can we control the number. By getting all of them into an inventory, we can control the number. That’s why we will follow this process. We will also call on all our citizens to participate in this process. If our citizens have pets, we want them to contact us for their neutering.’ Cihan mentioned that they plan to resolve the disturbance caused by street animals within 6 months, stating, ‘There is a bill. It involves keeping street animals in shelters for 30 days and trying to find them homes. If they are not adopted, there is a bill about putting them to sleep, in other words, killing them. We believe that this is not right. There are alternatives to this. By showing a little care. By collaborating with volunteers and animal lovers, we can combat street animals. Therefore, we are showing an example here. We have the chance to control the number. Look, this is not a matter of cost. It’s not a budget issue. It just requires a roadmap. In 1910, there was a process of collecting and killing dogs. Yet, there was no result. Even if the same thing is done again, no result will be achieved. The most important solution is for the necessary institutions to collaborate and monitor this problem continuously. With a bit of educating the citizens, with the institutions fulfilling their duties, and with the support of volunteers, we can solve the problem. We are trying to do this in the Hopa area. At the end of this process, by controlling the numbers, we believe that we will have solved the disturbance in the streets within 6 months.’ Cihan continued, ‘There has been a process where the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has positively looked at and allocated to any municipality that wants. There is an allocation here. We have shelters that we have built. On top of that, we have areas we have built. We are expanding these areas a bit more. We want to allocate areas where street animals, street dogs can roam freely and where we will not build anything. The vaccinations for street animals are done by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. When institutions actually collaborate, the solution to this issue becomes very easy.’