Why We Transport Critically Ill Animals Across Long Distances in Turkey
In an ideal world, every animal in need of urgent medical care would find it right on their doorstep. A local veterinary clinic would be equipped, available, and able to act immediately. But for thousands of animals across Turkey, this simply isn’t the reality. When an animal requires life-saving treatment, the most difficult decision is often not what to do but where it can actually be done.
At Dog Desk Animal Action, we frequently face the heart breaking but unavoidable task of transporting critically ill or injured animals over long distances to reach appropriate veterinary care. This process is stressful for the animal, challenging for transporters, and emotionally draining for everyone involved. Yet it remains one of the most important and impactful things we do.
The Harsh Reality - Limited Access to Advanced Veterinary Care
Turkey has many caring veterinarians, but advanced trauma, emergency, and specialist care is often concentrated in a small number of clinics, mostly in major cities & specialist care is only available in a handful of practices. Smaller towns and rural regions where many vulnerable cats & dogs live may only have basic veterinary services. Some lack even the most simple of tests.
This means that dogs suffering from conditions such as:
Severe fractures
Internal bleeding
Neurological damage
Distemper complications
Parvovirus collapse
Serious infections requiring intensive hospitalisation
simply cannot get the treatment they need locally. Cases require imaging such as CT or digital X-ray, surgical equipment, intensive monitoring, or specialists - resources not universally available.
So when a dog is hit by a car, collapses from disease, or faces a life-threatening medical emergency, transporting them is not a choice; it is the only chance they have to survive.
Why We Travel Hours Across Multiple Cities
There are three main reasons we must move patients long distances:
1. Availability of Specialists and Equipment
Emergency surgery, orthopaedic repair, neurology, infectious disease management, or 24-hour intensive care units are only found in select clinics. The dog’s survival depends on accessing that expertise.
2. Capacity and Overcrowding
Even when a closer clinic has the right equipment, it may not have space. Rescue organisations, particularly in larger cities, face overwhelming caseloads. A critically ill stray may be refused simply because there are no available ICU cages, staff capacity, or surgical slots.
3. The Urgency of Time and the Need for Certainty
When an animal’s condition is rapidly deteriorating, we cannot gamble on a clinic that might be able to help. We need a veterinary team we trust, one that has treated complex cases before, communicates reliably, and is prepared to act immediately. Sometimes that clinic is many hours away.
The Emotional Toll Of Knowing Every Minute Matters
Every kilometre feels heavy.
And yet, time and time again, the effort proves worthwhile. Dogs who would have died without specialist care go on to recover fully. These success stories remind us that distance should never be the reason an animal dies without help.
The Hidden Challenges Behind Every Transport
While the public may see only the beginning and end of a dog’s journey, the logistics behind each rescue are immense:
Coordinating with clinics to ensure immediate admission
Arranging emergency transport, often late at night or across provinces
Managing rising fuel, toll, and treatment costs
These missions require teamwork, funding, and extraordinary dedication yet they are done quietly, routinely behind the scenes with no social media buzz & fanfare.
We Shouldn’t Have to Transport Dogs This FarBut Until Things Change, We Must
The long-term solution lies not in more transport, but in better access to advanced veterinary care across Turkey, alongside stronger public education, improved municipal responsibility, and investment in training and equipment.
But until that day comes, we will continue to do whatever it takes.
If that means driving a dying puppy 400 kilometres for oxygen therapy…
If that means carrying a broken dog from a roadside village to the nearest trauma surgeon…
If that means crossing half the country to give an animal a fighting chance…
…then that is exactly what we will do.
Because every dog or cat deserves the chance to survive, to heal, and to be loved.
How You Can Help
Support fuel and transport costs through small donations
Share our stories to raise awareness
Sponsor a dog in treatment
Every contribution makes these life-saving journeys possible.