Time for a Breeding Moratorium in Turkey: Prioritising Stray Dogs Over Profit
As Turkey continues its deeply controversial efforts to clear stray dogs from the streets, it is impossible to ignore the cruelty and contradictions at play. Thousands of dogs, many friendly, healthy, and entirely capable of living peacefully in the community are being rounded up, confined to overcrowded, under-resourced shelters, and in far too many cases, culled.
These actions are being carried out in the name of public safety, but they reveal a disturbing disconnect in animal welfare policy. While stray dogs are being removed en masse, breeding continues unabated. Pedigree puppies are bought and sold daily, even as their counterparts die anonymously behind shelter walls. This is not just unethical—it is fundamentally unsustainable.
It is time for Turkey to implement a national moratorium on dog breeding.
A System Under Strain
Municipal shelters across Turkey are overwhelmed. Resources are stretched thin, veterinary care is minimal, and conditions often fall far below acceptable welfare standards. Dogs suffer from malnutrition, untreated illnesses, and psychological trauma due to confinement and neglect.
These shelters were never designed to hold the sheer number of dogs currently being collected. Many of these animals were once community dogs, vaccinated, neutered, and looked after by local residents. Their removal has caused heartbreak for communities and chaos for the dogs themselves.
Meanwhile, breeders continue to profit from producing more dogs. It is an outrageous contradiction: we are discarding the lives of existing dogs while creating more for financial gain.
Breed Dogs on the Streets: A Cruel Mismatch
Making matters worse, we’re seeing an alarming rise in abandoned breed dogs on the streets—Golden Retrievers, Pomeranians, and more, none of whom are equipped for life outside a home environment. These dogs have not evolved to survive independently. They are often confused, frightened, and unable to find food or shelter. Many become targets of aggression from territorial strays or fall ill and die alone.
What’s even more troubling is that nearly every abandoned breed dog we encounter has not been spayed or neutered. Not one. Once on the streets, they reproduce rapidly, contributing to an already critical overpopulation crisis. In just a matter of months, one abandoned pair can give rise to litters of puppies doomed to the same fate—if they survive at all.
As we often say: no puppy should be born to stray. It is a life of risk, suffering, and premature death.
Legislation Isn’t Enough
Turkey has taken some legislative steps in the right direction. Microchipping and registration of owned dogs became mandatory in recent years, and fines are in place for those who abandon animals. But laws without effective enforcement are not enough.
Irresponsible owners can and do find ways around the rules. Many simply do not chip their dogs. Others abandon them in rural areas, far from prying eyes. Without stronger oversight and greater investment in enforcement, the cycle will continue and more dogs will suffer.
Why a Breeding Ban Matters
A moratorium on dog breeding would send a powerful, practical message: that the lives of stray and shelter dogs matter. It would redirect attention and resources to rehoming, rehabilitation, and responsible ownership. It would reduce the number of animals entering a system that is already collapsing under its own weight.
This is not about punishing responsible breeders, it’s about responding to a national animal welfare crisis with urgency and compassion. When the existing dog population is secure, when shelters are no longer overwhelmed, and when a culture of responsibility has taken firm root, then and only then should breeding resume under stricter regulation.
What Needs to Happen Now
Immediate moratorium on all dog breeding until the stray and shelter dog population is under control.
Strengthening and enforcing microchipping laws, with penalties that deter noncompliance.
Public education campaigns to foster a culture of adoption, responsibility, and compassion.
Investment in shelter infrastructure and veterinary care to ensure humane treatment of dogs already in the system.
Support for community dog programs as a viable alternative to mass sheltering and culling.
Let’s Stop the Suffering at Its Source — Together
At Dog Desk Animal Action, we believe every dog deserves a life free from suffering, abandonment, and fear. While we provide direct support to animals in need, our mission goes far beyond rescue—we advocate for lasting, systemic change.
Our team actively engages with government officials and policymakers, and we are proud to say that many are open to hearing our concerns and listening to our advice. We bring first hand experience from the ground, backed by compassion and expertise, to influence decisions that affect countless lives.
Our work isn’t always easy—but it’s necessary. And with your support, we can speak louder, reach further, and push harder for the reforms that matter most.
We are calling for a national breeding moratorium in Turkey because no puppy should be born to suffer on the streets.
We are calling for compassion, consistency, and common sense.
Join us. Share our message, support our campaigns, and stand with the dogs who have no voice.
🐾 Take action today — help us protect Turkey’s dogs.
Sign Dog Desk Animal Action’s Petition and stand with us in calling for an immediate breeding ban until every stray dog is safe.