The TBMM Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs Commission convened for the second time to discuss the Bill of Law on Amendments to the Animal Protection Law, signed by AKP deputies and which foresees the slaughter of stray animals under the name of ‘euthanasia’.
According to the accepted articles of the proposal, dogs that are rehabilitated from animals taken to animal shelters will be housed in these places until they are adopted. Animals taken to animal shelters will be registered in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry data system.
THE TERM ‘EUTHANASIA’ WAS REMOVED, BUT…
Among the dogs taken into the shelter, those that pose a danger to the life and health of humans and animals, whose negative behaviors cannot be controlled, have a contagious or incurable disease or are prohibited from being owned, are subject to the provisions of Article 9 of the Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law. “Euthanasia of animals will be prohibited, but in cases of diseases that cause pain and suffering to animals or that do not improve, in cases where there is a risk to human health for the purpose of preventing or eradicating an acute contagious animal disease, or in cases where behaviors pose a danger to the life and health of humans and animals and negative behaviors cannot be controlled, a veterinarian may decide to perform euthanasia. Euthanasia will be performed by a veterinarian or under the supervision of a veterinarian.“provisions shall be applied.
Local authorities will be authorized to take the necessary administrative measures within the scope of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals in their work and operations regarding stray dogs.
“Abandoning stray animals collected on behalf of local governments to a place other than a shelter or leaving a dog kept in a shelter to a place other than a shelter.” acts are included in the scope of the ban.
In addition to the work carried out to protect stray animals, the duties of the Provincial Animal Protection Board include identifying problems caused by stray animals and producing solution proposals for the protection of human, animal and environmental health.
FROM INTERVIEWS…
Opposition MPs stated that the commission meeting lasted too long during the discussions on Article 7 of the proposal and that there were no longer healthy working conditions, and requested that the commission suspend its work.
As the discussions continued, Commission President Vahit Kirişci adjourned the meeting and invited representatives of political parties to the meeting.
Some MPs showed their reaction by hitting the desks. Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) Istanbul MP Saliha Sera Kadıgil threw the 2019 Parliamentary Investigation Commission Report, established to determine the measures to be taken to protect animal rights and prevent cruelty and mistreatment of animals, in front of Commission President Kirişci.
After the recess, article 7 of the proposal was accepted. Thus, the total number of accepted articles became 7.
After approximately 14 hours of discussions, Kirişci closed the meeting to reconvene at 12:00 today.
Source: www.cumhuriyet.com.tr
