When Solved Means Silenced - The Reality Behind Iğdır’s Stray Dog Round-Ups
Authorities in Iğdır have announced that the region’s stray dog “problem” has been largely resolved through the mass collection and confinement of free-roaming dogs into a temporary care facility. Official statements describe this as progress, a humane and orderly solution.
But what is absent from these reports is the reality captured on video.
And that reality tells a far more disturbing story.
Footage emerging from the facility shows clear signs of fear, stress, and violence all hallmarks of an environment that is failing the animals it claims to protect.
In the video:
A puppy yelps and cowers in the presence of an adult dog, displaying submission and fear rather than healthy social behaviour.
One adult dog is seen with blood around his throat and head, strongly indicating fighting most likely triggered by environmental stress and the need to guard limited resources such as food or space.
These are not random incidents.
They are predictable outcomes of poor management and overcrowding.
Stress Creates Violence Not Safety
Dogs are not interchangeable units that can be grouped together without consequence. When animals are:
forcibly removed from familiar territories
confined in close quarters
denied adequate space, enrichment, and structure
their behaviour changes.
Stress increases. Fear escalates. Aggression follows.
Bloodshed in such facilities is not evidence of bad dogs it is evidence of a system that has ignored basic principles of animal welfare and canine behaviour.
Puppies Should Never Be Housed With Unrelated Adult Dogs
One of the most alarming aspects of the footage is the presence of puppies confined alongside adult dogs.
This is a serious welfare failure.
In high-stress environments, puppies are not protected they are perceived as threats.
Pups are small, defenceless, and easily eliminated. In overcrowded kennels, adult dogs may view them as:
competitors for food
intruders into limited space
sources of stress that trigger dominance behaviour
Placing puppies with unrelated adults puts them at immediate risk of injury or death.
It is a fundamental violation of responsible sheltering practice.
Confinement Is Not Care
Rounding up dogs and placing them out of sight does not solve a problem it relocates suffering behind closed doors.
True animal welfare requires:
✔ Individual health and behavioural assessments
✔ Strict separation of puppies from adult dogs
✔ Controlled, compatible grouping
✔ Adequate space, enrichment, and supervision
✔ Veterinary oversight and trauma-informed handling
✔ Clear pathways to rehabilitation, foster care, and adoption
Without these measures, facilities become pressure cookers, not sanctuaries.
This Is Not a Solution It Is a Warning
When officials declare success while animals bleed, cower, and fight for survival, the public must ask harder questions.
A system that allows:
injured dogs to go untreated
terrified puppies to be placed in danger
stress-induced violence to flourish
is not humane it is negligent.
At Dog Desk Animal Action, we believe that the most vulnerable animals define the integrity of any so-called solution.
If puppies are afraid, adults are fighting, and injuries are visible the problem has not been solved. It has been hidden.
Our Call to Action
We urge authorities, media outlets, and the public to demand:
transparency inside animal facilities
adherence to internationally recognised welfare standards
an end to mass round-ups without proper care infrastructure
Dogs deserve protection not containment at any cost.
Out of sight must never mean out of conscience.