Animal shelter SHKD
Istanbul, Turkey
Number of dogs: ± 250

The SHKD (Society for the Protection of Stray Animals) shelter in Istanbul was founded by the British businessman, Robert Smith. He was deeply affected by the fate of the numerous stray dogs in the city. At least 70% of the dogs in Istanbul are strays, and rely on rubbish for their food.

The principle aim of the SHKD is the so called "neuter and release policy", whereby the dogs are castrated, inoculated, and then released back onto the streets. This policy is advocated by the World Health Organisation and the World Society for the Protection of Animals, as by far the most effective strategy to solve the stray dog problem. When it became clear that the city council frequently poisoned these dogs regardless, an animal friendly alternative was needed, and protected shelters were set up in different locations. The Society continues with its neuter and release policy in the hope that the city will leave the dogs in peace once they are back on the streets. However, the available places in the shelter are reduced to a minimum.

Alongside this, the society wants to perform in an advisory role with regard to the problem of stray dogs, and to carry out informative and educative programmes, with the aim of helping the government and people to become more sympathetic toward animals. In 2008 Wereldpootjes has therefore paid for the printing of 10,000 Turkish education booklets and 5,000 leaflets about stray dogs in order to support SHKD with this education programme. Read more about the education booklet here.

At one location the SHKD shelter, where more than 700 dogs were homed, had to close to make way for housing. A large number of these dogs have found homes abroad, Germany took in the most, with smaller numbers going to The Netherlands and Austria. The other location - Hasdal Open Wood Shelter - consists of a fenced-in piece of woodland, next to an old rubbish dump, where a few years ago many dogs were found dead.

There are, early 2008, still about 250 dogs in this shelter. Robert Smith has stated that he will try to reduce that number further. Hardly any new dogs are being accepted in the shelter, and new homes are being sought for the dogs deemed suitable for adoption. Dogs who are not suitable for rehoming, can grow old in the forest shelter.

SHKD has already neutered and inoculated some 20,000 dogs and as a result rabies is rare. In this way the Society has shown how the problem of stray dogs can be handled in an animal friendly way, on condition that the government cooperates.

SHKD has its own veterinary clinic where the castrations and inoculations take place, and where sick and injured dogs and cats are treated. The dogs are examined, vaccinated against rabies and other diseases, wormed, treated for fleas, mange etc. and of course are castrated. You can find more information about the SHKD at www.shkd.org .

Except for SHKD Wereldpootjes also supports Tuana Birol and Doruk Mehmetoglu, 2 former SHKD volunteers and animal protectors in heart and soul. They foster dogs and cats individually, who are mainly rehomed in Germany in co-operation with the German organisation Tierschutz Hennef.