The street dogs of Istanbul

There are no anti-rabies drives nor the dogs are either shot or poisoned. They are treated with dignity and kindness. Free-roaming dogs are picked up off the streets and taken to local shelters where they are spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and other diseases, treated for minor illnesses, ear-tagged for identification, and then released back to the neighbourhood from where they were trapped. Planted as a chip on the ear, the tag has the dog’s complete history, including date of birth, last inoculated and treatment given. The state does not stop here. There are designated places for food where the ‘little friends’ can receive free food without any hurdles. Pakistan could learn much from a country that is constantly being mentioned as one of its dearest friends.

Naeem Sadiq

Karachi