An academician from Istanbul proposed an option to reduce the number of stray dogs by eight times

Everything must be according to the law: chipping, vaccination and sterilization

The dean of Istanbul’s leading university has found a humane solution to the city’s persistent stray dog ​​problem, ensuring both the safety of residents and the welfare of stray animals. He proposed sterilizing animals on a public basis. According to him, this will reduce their aggressiveness.

Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Serrahpaşa Hasan Alpak said that there are about 400 thousand stray dogs in Istanbul, with the largest number of stray animals living in Eyüp, Sultangazi, Sultanbeyli, Pendik and Kartal.

“In recent years, the number of dogs on the streets has been increasing due to abandoned animals and the uncontrolled growth of the animal population. Our proposal on this issue is based on maintaining animal welfare,” said Hassan Alpak.

The scientist proposed that three hundred 4th and 5th year university students volunteer to solve this problem.

“Municipalities, the provincial agriculture department and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks must cooperate. However, the number of personnel they can allocate is not enough to solve the problem,” Alpak is convinced. He adds that the only thing needed for implementation is the supply of materials and the creation of sterilization areas to start the project.

“At our university, sterilization of females costs 12 thousand Turkish lira, and males – 7 thousand. The reason for the high cost of surgery in female dogs is that they are supervised for about a week after spaying. Releasing them immediately after the operation is completed can have fatal consequences,” explains the dean.

Stating that the aggressive behavior of dogs decreases after sterilization as their hormonal structure changes, Hasan Alpak responded that “the dog population in Istanbul will begin to decline within five years, and after 10 years, the number of dogs, of which there are now 400 thousand, will be reduced to 50 thousand after natural death due to aging.”

Regarding dog attacks that have led to serious injuries in several cities, Alpak advises: “To avoid being attacked by stray animals, you need to look at the dog’s body when passing by, not at the eyes. Dogs are creatures that can run at speeds of 50-60 kilometers per hour. Therefore, it is impossible to escape from the dog.”

Alpaca also believes in staying calm and not getting nervous when meeting a dog, as “people can start releasing adrenaline or the fight-or-flight hormone when they see dogs. The dog can smell this hormone and also analyze people’s behavior.”