Postal workers in the northern province Samsun will deliver food for street cats and dogs while distributing the mail during winter months. The project "Çantamda Mama Var" ("Got Food in my Bag") was organized by Turkey's Post Service's solidarity association PTT-DER and the municipality of the Canik district.

The municipality is going to provide small packages of cat and dog food to the postal workers, who will place them wherever animals are sighted.

Canik Mayor Ibrahim Sandıkçı told reporters that during cold winter days stray animals have problems finding something to eat. The municipality is already working on projects to provide warm and isolated shelters, he said, adding that they want to prevent the animals from starving in the cold season.

PTT-DER head Onur Karagöl pointed out that they started this project to raise awareness because "the street animals lack water and food."

"As postal workers walking the streets we wanted to distribute food the animals," he said, adding that they plan to promote this project in other provinces. "We will try to provide food to all the animals in Samsun so that they won't go hungry," Karagöl said. "For now, we will give food to cats and dogs, and plan to add birdseed soon."