Turkey’s stray dogs find homes abroad after new law to clear them off streets

Former Istanbul street dogs Dali and Deezi now live in the Netherlands, enjoying a pampered home life after years in a shelter in the Turkish city, and as other strays face being rounded up under a new law to clear them from the streets.

Turkey's parliament passed a law in July ordering the impounding of the country's estimated four million stray dogs, despite protests by animal lovers and the opposition, who fear it will lead to many being put down.

The legislation, motivated by concerns about attacks by dogs, road accidents and rabies, aims to place all strays in municipal shelters by 2028. It says that any dogs showing aggressive behavior or with untreatable disease will be euthanized.

Animal rights activist Nilgul Sayar, who runs an NGO shelter for dogs near Istanbul, has sent hundreds of dogs abroad for adoption but says demand has jumped since the law...