There are a lot of stray cats and dogs in Turkey. They live well and are well-fed, and this immediately catches my eye. In Istanbul, I have often seen cat colonies that live in built houses, and to say nothing of food and water – laid out, spread all over the place. But with cats all is clear, in warm countries no one can be surprised by homeless cats. But I’ve never seen so many dogs living on their own.
The dogs I paid attention to back in Istanbul. They roam there, then alone, then in small groups, lying in the sun and on the lawns. Dogs in Istanbul are in great shape – it is clear that they have no problems with food. And each has a mark on the ear, which indicates that the dog is vaccinated and sterilized. Turkish dogs are lucky – they can live in freedom all year round and not suffer from the cold.
In Antalya we met a large group of dogs and that walk was one of the highlights of the trip. Why? Because I love dogs very much))
We lived a half hour walk to the old town. Two days in a row we went for a walk through the center on foot. And each time we were accompanied by dogs.
It was so much fun to watch them! You can tell right away that each pack has its own boundaries in which they feel confident and calm.
Along the way dogs began to join us. They didn’t always walk side by side – they might run off to the next path or get distracted by the cats. It is fascinating to watch this confrontation. The cats also sit in packs, and when one of the dogs jumps in their direction, they cleverly hide behind the fence or run away into the trees. You can tell right away that it’s all just a game. I doubt the dogs really want to catch them.
We reached the border with the center in a large motley crowd… But the dogs didn’t go any further. They were replaced by new ones who walked us to the center.
The center is also full of dogs. They don’t ask for anything, they just make friends with people. I have noticed that the local dogs have a habit of lying down next to a person who is sitting on a bench. From afar, it may seem like it’s the owner’s dog, waiting for the owner to rest. But no, they are on their own.