What better time than a miserable and rainy day in Istanbul to protest against Kadir Topbaş atrocities at the Hasdal shelter?
In the past we have seen demonstrations asking for better treatment of the animals across the nation, demanding a more humane treatment of the animals in Turkish society. Those are lofty goals and of course we support them.
But this is not why we gathered in Istanbul in this Sunday morning. This time was different. We were there to present a case, the case of the Stray Animals of Istanbul against ONE person, Kadir Topbaş the Mayor of Istanbul.
The atrocities committed by Kadir Topbaş Municipality in their Hasdal shelter, the neutering of animals in atrocious conditions, the substandard veterinary care, the abuse physical and otherwise of the municipality towards animals and volunteers alike, the dumping of tens of thousands of dogs into the forests of Istanbul, in a practice reminiscent of darker times of our history.
The animal welfare law in Turkey is good, it aims high, it is optimistic and it has the heart in the right place. But it fails miserably. It fails because it is not enforced properly and nowhere this is is more evident than in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.
Kadir Topbaş and his team at the Hasdal shelter are running what amounts to nothing less than Dog Genocide. The videos recorded with a hidden camera and released last week are just the tip of the iceberg. In Hasdal, day after day, dogs are abused, operated inadequately and disposed into deserted areas like garbage, in a practice that is costing not animal lives, but human lives in the form of traffic accidents. We were there to denounce this practice that not only creates untold suffering and pain for the animals, it also shames our country as a whole.
Enough is enough!.
Tomorrow we will request a meeting with Kadir Topbas in order to try to find a solution to this problem. The public has been lied to before but the situation has reached a point where it needs to be solved, and it needs to be solved by implementing the Law correctly.
The Istanbul Municipality program needs to change radically. How? Here is how:
1. Through the correct implementation of the program of Neuter and Return.
2. Through the implementation of Hi-Volume – Low Cost Spay and Neuter for privately owned pets
3. Through working with Rescue Groups., not fighting against them.
4. Through establishing a program of foster care.
5. Creating a comprehensive adoption program, not an imaginary one like the one the Municipality wants the public to believe it has right now.
6. Setting up a real community of support to the shelter.
and finally, and most importantly
7. Through finding a compassionate shelter director. Someone with the ideas and drive necessary to run an operation like Hasdal in an efficient and humane way, not just another puppet with political aspirations and a career stained with blood.
Let’s Adopt! and the other few quality animal organizations in this country are willing and able to help.
Let’s turn Hasdal into something to be proud of instead of the disgraceful and shameful symbol of cruelty that it is right now.
Too many lives have been lost already…
Viktor Larkhill
Let’s Adopt!
P.S. More pictures of yesterday demonstration HERE
Good luck to everyone who is involved directly with this campaign. Take heart that all over the world, you have supporters like me.
I am so proud of all the people of Turkey that stoot up for the animals! We are right next to you to fight together for them. Love you all! x
I wish i could have been there to proudly stand w the people of Turkey to stop this inhumane treatment and murderer….I am so proud to be friends of u all..To see this brings tears to my eyes.. God bless and keep on fighting UNITED WE STAND !!! UNTIED WE WILL SUCEED !! Love to u all….xxx.
God Bless you all and a big thanks from the animals you are all trying to help save; I am proud to stand by your side as you fight for animal rights! Amazing what you have done thus far. Never give up! They will always need us to be their voice
Well done to all those who turned out for the demonstration. Let us hope by bringing this into the open that Kadir Topbas will be shamed into making vast improvements. The suggestions you have laid down are reasonable but effective in bringing to an end this catastrophic situation! For the dogs that have gone before we can do nothing but hold them in our memories and our hearts, but for those who are to come let us hope and pray that their lives will be at least tolerable and pain free. I hope Kadir Topbas will not show cowardice and will meet with you to find a solution. Best of luck !
Another step forward..keep us posted! Thank you to all of you who
showed up to support these poor animals. I wrote several letters to the mayor, no response of course..but let him know that the world IS watching..from North Carolina, USA.
Love and blessings to you ALL and all those beautiful animals!
Fighting is how we made the situation for dogs in my country a little better, atrocities are more rare, though not completely absent yet. FIGHT ON! Through rain, cold, people who didain you, scandals, indifference, believe me, you will see the difference, slight at the beginning but soon notable! The dogs count on you , and for their suffering, every effort is worth it!
Call PETA, International Community, write to the EU Animal Welfare sections (DG Sanco and all entities connected) ; Turkey may not be part of the EU but it aims to be one and it will have to respect animal welfare too! Call foreign TVs, post to Youtube, make your cause known by every creature in this world!
BEST OF SUCCESSES!
Thank you for being there for those of us who can’t and for speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves. We in the rest of the world are proud of you and will keep watching. Turkey is a modern country and the animal protection laws need to be enforced. I hope you will be able to talk to the Mayor and can find a compassionate, yet responsible, person to run the shelter.
Thank you again!
Thank you people of Turkey for standing up for what is right. I wish I could be there but am with you in spirit….We are all watching. Keep on fighting for the rights of animals…they cannot speak for themselves but suffer in silence…..Cruelty to animals is not acceptable under any circumstances………KEeP up ther good work
Every long jurney begin in one single step. You made this step and the jurney begins. Only forward and upward the whole world is with you. God bless you all
Acompanhei de muito perto” os anos de chumbo” da ditadura no Brasil e posso imaginar como é terrível lutar a favor dos Direitos dos Animais num país onde a Vida Humana também vai para uma vala comum. Só posso orar, na minha crença, por todos que ousam desafiar o poderio instalado e põem suas cabeças ‘ a prêmio’ em defesa dos “nossos irmãos menores”. ” Os poderosos podem matar uma, duas ou três rosas, mas jamais conseguirão deter a primavera inteira.”
So pleased the demonstration was a success yesterday, and the impetus for change will be followed through. The above posting was inspirational and I completely agree with it. It does seem that Turkey has tried to implement good animal welfare laws, but they have not put in the infrastructure to make it all work. I cannot add to anything in the post as I think it covers everything. The publicity must be kept up and the international community of supporters must not rest on its laurels, we must keep up the fight and support you all the way.
Thank you to everyone who turned out on a cold, wet, rainy day in Istanbul.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being there yesterday and for always being there for those poor, vulnerable animals who have no voice. Please never stop shouting… I will help all I can by spreading the word and donating when I am able to. Thank you, thank you….!!!
Thank you for being there for those of us who can’t and for speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves. We and the rest of the world are so proud of you all, wish I could have been there with you, These poor animals just live in misery, Time it ended, good luck to all you wonderful humans,
SHAME on Turkey for its inhumanity and cruelty! Türkiye’ye UTANÇ!
Phase 2 sounds like a perfect plan .. there needs to be a resolution and what better way than to sit down face to face and come to terms ..good luck Lets Adopt . i pray that this will be the start of something good for the animals..Good Luck and you always have my support .
Well done everyone i hope this will help you get somewhere i would have loved to have been there! Keep going and dont stop the animals need you! SHOUT! to make them listen!
RED =Respect Every Dog
We the world love you Victor and all the Let’s Adopt Community. Mad respect and support from afar from us here in New York!
Much Love to You All.
Animals NEED our voice and our willingness to fight for them!
Although I couldn’t be there in body, I was definitely beside you all in spirit. God Bless all who took part in this protest. It’s time the people in power learnt that the PEOPLE WILL have their way in how things are run. KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT AND KNOW WE ALL STAND BESIDE YOU!!!
Your demonstration turned out beautifully! We are behind you and hope that this does some good for the animals, both in the shelter and on the streets. Maybe this will mark the beginning of the end of all the atrocities going on in Istanbul! The changes you want them to implement are what should have been being used already! So good luck to you and we pray that Mayor Topbas is listening to the people and is willing to make the right changes!
sp proud of you all wish i lived thee i would be out with you, and probally buying all the dogs out of the shelters, gdo bless you all, what good work
Keep fighting the good fight!!
Hail to the Turkish people who are participating in this demonstration or are being instrumental in other ways to help end the horrific suffering of Istanbul’s animals. Much luck to you my brothers and sisters.
For God nothing is impossible, and when people understand that and acting like Jesus with courage, humanaty, peace and above all love for his creation the world is much better! Congratulation good people of Turkey and in especial Viktor Larkhill.
Keep on fighting for these wonderful creatures you will win this battle and change the law we are all with you.
bravo aux manifestants et organisateurs…j’espère que ça va aider à ce que ces atrocités qui font honte à la Turquie disparaissent à jamais, au même titre que Kadir Topbas qui contribue à cette honte !
BRAVO!!
THE WORLD IS WATCHING
Your agenda sounds like a good one, well thought-out! We are there in spirit, those of us who are too far away in person. I am hoping that your proposal will be accepted and implemented… thank you for caring for the animals of Turkey! The world is watching!
it’s people like you that keep my faith in humanity alive. So proud and grateful to all of you who took a stand and allowed your voices to be heard!
I’m excited to see what comes of this, Viktor.
BLESSINGS ON LET’S ADOPT! & ALL WHO STAND WITH THEM
God bless everyone that attended and also the thousands of others that are fighting with us from afar. This will not go away now, If Topbas wants to fight against these demands.he sure has a tough one on his hands!!! No let up now, we must.not fail our innocent friends, their suffering at the hands of evil thugs must end.!!!
OMG… he is a veterinarian too !!!?
I am so proud of you all to rise above and tell the world what is happening! I live in Canada and have been spreading the word via networking. I’m hoping that someone important or famous will offer to help and change the mindset of these government officials. The world knows now and more of the world is hearing of this , make your demonstartions bigger ! and film them yourselves and put on youtube!! screw the media that are probably gagg ordered from exposing this. Never stop!!!!
Every time i see his face, I see a sod who is suffering from “Little Mans Syndrome” and we all know theres no cure for that. This is why i ask that you give a little thought & consideration to him & his situation
OK…enough. Lets face it, thats way more thought & consideration he would have given to any of the furries that crossed his path.
Just wanted to congradulate you on such a fantastic campaign. You bought to light the indifference that so many people have towards the plight of animal cruelty and followed that up with a gathering of the masses, who were to defy that indifference and expose the suffering, torture & brutality at the hands of Kadir.Topbas and his crew of men…opps i mean cowards & bullies (also suffering from “Little Mans Syndrome”)
Even though i was not there physically i was there in mind & spirit in Australia and when watching the footage and reading the postings i felt such a sense of pride knowing that i had an association with ‘Lets Adopt” .
Keep up the fantastic work and God bless you all & keep you safe.
Well done People!!!
this is fantastic to see…people standing up for whats right and for those with no voice…..this is how cruelty stops …and how the lives of these poor animals whos *crime* is just they have no home….can be made so so much better
Stay strong in your conviction to this case….people from around the world are supporting you
WELL DONE!!!
Thank you soooo much for your amazing work, I hope with all my heart this will definitely be the beginning of the end for that bastard and the end as well for the terrible suffering of so many animals,I’d like to change my picture for the one of that son of a b*tch in order to help some more,please help me,don’t know how to do it,thank you xxx
for god s sake, all these good words, like coming from
mathy merbis osh
CT
Diana Ruth Davidson
Georgia Kotidis *esp. him as he provides his support
Jayne Matthews
really anything or this is just rant?
Great Job Everyon!! What a fabulous turnout! The mayor can no longer turn away because THE PEOPLE have spoken…POWER TO THE PEOPLE and To the animals who may no longer have to suffer the torment and cruelty of the joke they called a shelter. Bless you all!!
it will be a long way, but i think You ,your crew the wonderful turkish people——and the ANIMALS will be sucsessful! THANKS!!!!!!!!
you are making history!!! well done
I have been sharing these posts on FB and asking all my friends to share them as well. What can I do living in the usa. Is there a place i can email / send letter to this idiot? I know full well not all vets care. My dog was pitt bull bait and his face was like hamburger meat when i rescued him from some gang bangers! Police finally showed up, I told them sorry i gotta go. He is aggressive with other dogs, but hey he loves my cats, he isnt around other dogs. The vet said he was spoiled goods, i told him that is myh problem. I wouldnt put a child down if she was abused and got mentally ill or something. I changed vets this one doesn’t have to muzzle him. Dogs know who loves them and who doesnt. Cats know too. I have 7 cats. took a while but i pit the fool who tries to home invade me or harms my cats.. Buddy my dog thinks they are his babies. big german shepard with cats.. I love them all. Most were stray, few from the pound, and buddy well lets just stay the lord was with me that day. I for one think this guy needs to go to prison for a few years. Accessory to the fact. He knew t his was going on, and yet did nothing. Same as the one who did it. I know t his applies to murder, but these animals were murdered? Same laws should apply for dogs, cats, any kind of animal. Serial Killers start that way. They get off on watching death. Sickos!! put themin jail with some real sickos, see how they like being caged up!!!! I am so outraged everytime i read the news letters on this. God please bless the animals and bring them justice and help those that are now needing help and are being abused. Amen..