Each day dozens of street dogs are brought to Bangkok's Lat Krabang animal quarantine center, where the veterinarians sterilize them and vaccinate them against rabies.

The Thai government has launched a campaign to vaccinate dogs and cats as deadly rabies disease has claimed at least 8 lives since the start of this year. Last year, at least 14 people died as a result of the virus, spreading fear that the Southeast Asian country could see a massive outbreak of rabies.

The government recently announced it plans to eradicate rabies by 2020. So far, about 45 percent of the country's estimated 10 million dogs and cats have been vaccinated as part of the drive.

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Not just for the dogs: Strays problem is also human rights issue

Istanbul's forgotten dogs struggle for survival

Difficult to control

At Lat Krabang, a group of vets and nurses anesthetizes dogs and vaccinates them. The process takes only less than a minute and is painless for the animals.

A veterinarian at the center, who wishes not to be named as he's not authorized to speak to the media, told DW that most dogs at the shelter are picked up from the streets. "We bring the dogs here when we receive complaints from the people. We sterilize them and vaccinate them against rabies. If the dog doesn't have an owner, we send it to our shelter in Uthai Thani."

The vet says that dog and cat owners should take better care of their pets to avoid the risk of their getting rabies. "Many people let their dogs roam around the streets. It is usually the case that we can't find the dog's owner when we receive a complaint. If you have a dog, keep it indoors or keep it on a leash," he said.

Rabies is not a new occurrence in the Southeast Asian country. In 1980, the viral disease killed some 370 people in Thailand. Subsequently, the government launched a campaign to control the spread of the disease but could not eradicate it.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Homeless hounds In an attempt to clear the city streets of stray dogs, Istanbul's dog catchers moved the animals to the Beykoz Forest. The forest lies on they city's outskirts on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus. Apart from a few dogs who have been taken into shelters, more than a thousand live in this canine wilderness.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul A stain on the city? A modern metropolis of 13.9 million: Istanbul's streets offer little room for stray dogs and cats. Many residents have traditionally fed and accepted their neighborhood strays. Yet the dogs also face abuse and are seen as unclean und aggressive.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul A history of neglect A century ago, Sultan Mehmet V sent about 80,000 Turkish street dogs to an island in the Marmara Sea. The island provided neither water nor food for the dogs. Animal rights activists scall this one of the worst animal cruelty cases in Turkey's recent history.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul The caregivers Semra Tecimen is the founder of Goksu Home for Animal Lovers. She and a small team of volunteers feed and look after the banned strays of Beykoz Forest. "We love animals," she said in an interview with DW. Here, she carries a puppy in need of medical treatment.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Collecting the leftovers The volunteers stop at an elementary school in Istanbul to collect discarded food. Volunteers from Goksu Home for Animal Lovers have been feeding stray dogs three days a week for the past seven years. The ten women take turns sorting food, feeding the dogs and attending to injuries or illness in the pack.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Digging into their pockets Each week, volunteers purchase 675 kilograms for 2000 Turkish Liras (760 euros) of dry dog food to supplement donations of leftover food from supermarkets and schools. The costs are partially offset by a stipend from the municipality. The rest is paid by the volunteers themselves, costs that include veterinary bills, gas and maintenance for the transport van.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Keeping urban pets The dogs are familiar with Istanbul's streets, according to Ahmet Kemal, an animal rights activist who opposes a proposed law that street dogs be moved to "wildlife parks" outside the city. In Istanbul, he says, "every neighborhood has its own dog, and if they are not aggressive animals, they can live with us."

The masterless dogs of Istanbul The hand that feeds The volunteers say the dogs have come to recognize the sound of their van that delivers food. They are urban dogs who have grown up depending on humans to feed them - or on the city's food waste to pillage.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Feeding the pack Volunteer efforts are no solution to the problem. Manpower and finances are limited, and local authorities should be handling the matter. "We are all middle-aged women," says volunteer Ayse Sozer. "We are doing our best, and I'm hoping people will follow us this way."

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Dinner is served A feast of donated food: a mixture of dry dog food and school cafeteria and butchershop leftovers - three times a week. Nevertheless, animal rights activists worry that a proposed law moving street dogs to "wildlife parks" would mean thousands would starve.

The masterless dogs of Istanbul Animal rights Animal welfare has a relatively strong backing in Turkey's activist scene. In March 2012, the political "Animal Party" was formed. Spokesman Neslihan Demir says they are pushing for a constitutional amendment that would outline protection for stray dogs. Author: Jodi Hilton / so



Health experts blame the government's procedures for the failure to put an end to rabies. Last week, a local newspaper reported that five officials from the Department of Livestock Development were being investigated over irregularities with rabies vaccinations. It is alleged that in 2016 they bought up to 1 million doses of vaccines that didn't have proper certifications. This could mean that a large number of pets haven't been properly vaccinated or haven't received vaccinations at all.

But John Dalley, the founder of Soi Dog animal welfare center in Phuket, believes rabies can be eradicated easily. "It will cost some money, but the World Health Organization has a functional program to curb the disease. If you vaccinate 70 percent of dogs, you have basically eradicated rabies," Dalley told DW.

Read more: Romanian stray dog law draws cries of overkill

Watch video 01:38 Share Saving stray dogs in Tehran Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2ZM2Q Saving stray dogs in Tehran

Better treatment of animals

In some cases, Thai authorities have resorted to drastic measures to deal with the issue. In January, over 100 pet dogs and cats were killed in a village in Chiang Rai after rabies was found in eight dogs. Officials forced villagers to hand over their pets, after which they were put to death.

Dalley says killing dogs and cats won't make Thailand rabies-free. "Also, the government thinks that picking up street dogs and putting them in shelters will solve the problem, but it won't."

Dog killings have also angered animal rights activists and conservative Buddhists, for whom killing an animal is a sin.

At Wat Suan Kaw, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, monk Prayom Kullayano calls for a merciful approach toward pets and other animals.

"Selfish people abandon their pets. We have to be merciful and responsible," Kullayano said.