Whilst this obviously seems to be a problem up there in Altinkum we do not have the same problem in Fethiye. There is an organisation in Turkiye and we are lucky enough to have one near us at Çatlik. They are affiliated to the WSPA and RSPCA International.
http://www.straydogsturkey.org/helpanimals.php
90 252 613 5825 or 90 252 612 5730
They carry out a neuter and return programme which involves them visiting villages and collecting up the dogs They are then taken to the centre to be neutered,vaccinated and returned to where they were collected from.
I have visited there a few times now for various reasons (they treated my keş before I decided to have him put down) and again to choose my three kitties. The staff are wonderful dedicated people and the whole place has a serenity about it.
The problem is that the Turks are muslim and treat animals as animals.A Turk very rarely owns a dog as a pet because of the fear of Rabies. There is little point in attempting to educate the Turks to become a nation of animal lovers, but they are more receptive of dogs that have been treated and tagged by the centre and are therefore Rabies free.
Lorraine as much as I applaud your efforts in looking after the puppy outside your home, as you have no intention of keeping him are you not giving him false hope? The pup has by now began to rely on you and you are desperately seeking a home for him. Hard as it may seem and please let us be hard hearted, cruel even but at the end of the day sensible and have him humanely put to sleep.
Before you all accuse me of being a hard hearted bitch you couldn't be further from the truth. I moved here with my ex boyfriends bulldog. I was given a pup as a present from some stupid besotted fool and was quite happy to have a two dog household.
Before long a stray Alsation cross started visiting and feeling how Lorraine felt, I started feeding 'Blodwyn'. The next thing I knew I had a garden full of stray dogs, couldn't get to the front door without being jumped up at and mauled and the whole situation became a nightmare. Eventually the dogs went except one who I called 'Sprinkles'.
She became pregnant and just before I left for the UK I was told she had given birth to six pups. As she lived in the house at the bottom of my garden I thought she would bring the pups to see me. On my return from the UK ı noticed she wasn't about. I went to FHDD to choose some kittens and walking around spotted 'Sprinkles' with one pup.
The staff told me she had been found with all her pups on the side of the road. I told them what I knew about her owner and they just shrugged their shoulders. I wanted to bring her and her pup home but commonsense prevailed and I knew that if her owner saw her back in the village he would kill her and her pup one way or another.
So, I left her there because I knew that with some luck she would go to someone who wanted her and her pup hopefully too would find a loving family. Walking away from her, broke my heart but for her sake it had to be done.
Turkey is not the UK. We cannot apply the same standards and beliefs towards animals as we would at home. If we are honest the Uk treats its animals far better than it treats its humans.
I find the points raised by Bryan and Lewismark regarding the value of humans here in Turkiye,unjustified, unfair and unreasonable. As far as I can recall, there has been nothing in Turkiye along the lines of 'Maria Caldwell',or even more recent 'Victoria Climbie'.
mkc