Animal Shelters in Turkey
If you’ve ever been to Istanbul you’ll have probably already seen the way Turks look after street cats. People put out bowls of water, piles of dry food and even set up cat homes in parks and apartment block gardens. It seems idyllic, at least that’s what many Instagram influencers would have us believe.
Although some IG account also feature cute pictures of stray dogs in Turkey, due to a mixture of factors (religion, culture, tradition) dogs are generally less fortunate. Although many neighbourhoods look after ‘their’ street dogs, that’s not the case everywhere. In addition hundreds of pet dogs have and are being abandoned due to economic pressures make owning a pet more of a luxury than ever. They’re left to fend for themselves in competition with the numerous street dogs already trying to survive.
Despite what social media would have you believe, in reality, each year thousands of cats and dogs end up on the streets or in government run hayvan baranak, Turkish for animal pound or shelter. Many of those animal shelters in Turkey offer little in the way of comfort, with reports of overcrowding, inadequate veterinary services and worse.
In order to change that, individuals and groups of animal lovers around the country have set up NGOs and their own animal shelters in Turkey. Here are a few of them.
Animal Shelters in Turkey
BUPAWS, Istanbul
Bebek Mh., 34342 Beşiktaş/İstanbul
Like many privately run animal shelters in Turkey, the BUPAWS animal shelter philosophy is that stray animals are part of the community and should be treated with compassion, respect and kindness. It was set up as an NGO at Bosphorus University in 2002 and is run by Defne Arsöy and Ahmet Çolak. Together with the help of volunteers they feed, house and care for 66 dogs that formerly lived uncared for on campus.
BUPAWS offers a lot of different ways to get involved. You can come and walk the dogs, help feed, wash and groom them, clean their kennels and help socialise them for possible forever home adoption. You can also foster a dog. Your donation goes into a fund to buy food, blankets and other necessities for all the dogs. If you’re in Istanbul you can come and spend time with ‘your’ dog on a regular basis while overseas contributors receive regular updates on their dogs, condition and progress.
As BUPAWS is on university land you’ll need to get in touch with Defne to arrange your first visit.
Educating people about dogs is an important part of BUPAWS. If you’re a teacher or the organiser of a children’s group let BUPAW know you’re interested in coming and they’ll prepare a fun educational program for your students. You and your students will learn how to behave around dogs, train them and more. Veterinarian students can also come and do placements to gain experience dealing with small animals. At the end of the program they receive a certificate.
If you love dogs and want to get involved, go to the BUPAWS contact page and leave your details. The BUPAWS dogs will thank you.
Animal Rescue Kuşadası (ARK)
Kadinlar Denizi Mh, Kasım Yaman 3 Sk, No:10/A, 09400 Kuşadası, Aydın
Animal Rescue Kuşadası (ARK) is one of several legally registered charity run animal shelters in Turkey, located in Kuşadası on the Aegean Coast. Board members and volunteers work together to provide care and veterinary treatment for sick and injured street animals in the area. They’re always on the lookout for volunteers so if you live in the area, get in touch.
As well as welcoming practical help with the animals they’re always on the lookout for people to help with translating English announcements and articles into other languages as well as manning the emergency phones. If you’d like to make items or donate things to sell at craft fairs, run stands at fund raisers or host coffee mornings, give ARK a call.
Even if you’re just passing through on holiday you can volunteer too, and they’d love your donations of unwanted clothing and household items to sell at tabletop sales and in the shop operated by the owners of Salt Box restaurant.
Foster homes are always needed for animals recuperating after surgery, in poor condition and lost pets in need of care until their owner can be located. ARK pays for all treatment, food and any other expenses. They also need foster homes for animals in need of some TLC until they get a permanent home. So if you’re looking to adopt, get in touch.
The ARK team have also talked with their local police to find out how to report animal related crimes. It can be hard if you don’t speak Turkish, but ARK say there are three ways you can report potential animal abuse to the police, wherever you are in Turkey. They are;
- download the HAYDi app. This app was designed to enable people to report crimes committed against the environment, nature and animals. You’ll find it on the Apple and Google Play stores. You’ll need to log in using a TKN and date of birth, then activate it using the verification code sent to your mobile phone. After opening the app, choose the 2nd option to report an animal-related matter then select the appropriate description from the drop-down menu. You’ll be asked to provide further details, the location and can upload photos. The app is in Turkish so if you don’t speak it, ask a Turkish friend or use Google translate.
- telephone the police on the 112 phone number. Again, if you don’t speak Turkish you’ll need a Turkish speaker to help you.
- go to a police station in person, where in many instances you’ll find an English-speaking police officer.
Whichever method you use, try and take photographs or video so you have evidence to show. This can make a real difference to whether or not charges will be laid.
Köyceğiz Dog Shelter (Sarah’s Private Sanctuary)
Köyceğiz Atık Su Arıtma Tesisi, Ulucami Mh., 48800 Muğla, Turkey
Officially registered as the Koycegiz Private Dog Protection Association, Koycegiz Dogs, Sarah’s Private Sanctuary was started back in 2013 by long term resident of Turkey Sarah Brown. It’s one of many animal shelters in Turkey that are not-for-profit, no kill dog shelters and is located outside of Koycegiz, Mugla. They currently look after more than 450 dogs and try to find them forever homes.
Sadly, a fire ripped through the shelter in February 2025, resulting in the death of four dogs, numerous injuries and the destruction of essential facilities like the food preparation kitchen, the office and all the shelter paperwork as well as items donated by supporters.
The cause of the blaze has not been determined. What is certain is that Sarah intends to rebuild, and to do this, she and the dogs need help.
Some of the ways you can help is to volunteer at the shelter to do the physical work of keeping the shelter clean, caring for sick dogs, grooming the dogs and showing them love. They also need people with vehicles willing to collect dogs, deliver them to the vets and more.
Other things you can do is donate old blankets or towels, buy a bag of dog food, or have a whip around with your friends or work colleagues to raise funds to help with the reconstruction. There are several Gofundme set up to help the shelter so just Google Gofundme and Koycegiz then choose which one you want to contribute to.
They also run a dog rescue adoption group, with lots of lovely dogs of all ages and sizes waiting for their happy ever after homes. Some have been in the shelter over 3 years. Sarah and her team consider all applicants and help match the dog to your circumstances. They offer full Rescue Back Up (RBU) in the UK, and home checks and costs associated to adoption apply.
It’s important to know that the process of adopting a dog from Turkey takes approximately four to five months from choosing your preferred dog to receiving it in the UK/Europe (transport arrangements may be different to other European countries) however the process to be followed remains the same.
General suggestions on how you can help Animal Shelters in Turkey
If you live in Turkey, check out the internet and local Facebook groups. Chances are there is already a privately run animal shelter in your area, or group that helps with street animals. If you speak Turkish, go see your local muhtar as many of them oversee resident groups that care for strays in the neighbourhood.
Donations of money, food, old blankets and so on are usually always welcome. Check with them first to see what they need the most.
Lastly, although it might be tempting to take an adorable dog or cat back to your home outside Turkey, it’s an expensive undertaking. If money is no object, why not donate the same amount to an animal shelter in Turkey of your choice? Your generosity will go a very long way.
Planning to come to Istanbul or Turkey? Here are my helpful tips for planning your trip.
Before you even buy your plane ticket, check whether you need an EVISA. Here’s my post on everything to know before you take off, including how to buy one from the government website so you don’t pay extra.
Even if I never claim on it, I always take out TRAVEL INSURANCE. I recommend Visitors Coverage. These days, wherever I travel I like to stay connected with a local phone number and mobile data so an E-SIM is the way to go. I use Airalo. Their e-sims work, don’t cost a fortune and their customer service if helpful.
ACCOMMODATION: When I want to find a place to stay I use Booking.com.
For FLIGHTS I like to use Kiwi.com. Once you land the next decision you’ll have to make is how to get to your hotel. I’m a big advocate of public transport, but know it’s not suitable for everyone all the time. When I need to be picked up from or get to Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport, I use one of these GetYourGuide AIRPORT TRANSFERS.
If you’re travelling alone, check out this post on useful solo travel tips Turkey for women (and men).
Now that’s all the practical stuff out of the way, here’s the fun stuff.
CITY TOURS & DAY TRIPS: Let me guide you around Kadikoy with my audio walking tour Stepping back through Chalcedon or venture further afield with Istanbul 50 Unsung Places, my bespoke guidebook. I know you’ll love visiting the lesser-known sites I’ve included. It’s based on using public transport as much as possible so you won’t be adding too much to your carbon footprint. Then read about what you’ve seen and experienced in my three essay collections and memoir about moving to Istanbul permanently.
Browse the GetYourGuide website or Viator to find even more ways to experience Istanbul and Turkey with food tours, visits to the old city, evening Bosphorus cruises and more!
However you travel, stay safe and have fun! Iyi yolculuklar.
