Ankara-based Patiliköy, or "Pawsville," is a foundation that serves as a safe haven for stray animals in the Turkish capital and hosts nearly 700 dogs.

Volkan Koç and Emre Kapan established the foundation 11 years ago to rescue stray animals and rehabilitate them in a natural environment.

Patiliköy currently hosts 700 dogs, most of which cannot survive as strays due to disability or psychological trauma.

"We primarily rescue animals that have been the victim of an accident or exposed to violence and provide them with a beautiful natural habitat. We also hope to instill a love for animals in people's hearts," Kapan told Anadolu Agency (AA).

They underlined how the coronavirus pandemic and related measures have negatively affected their budget and number of visitors. "We used to have a lot of visitors, especially university students. Because this is a social project, we try to spread the love for stray animals. But with the pandemic, the number of our visitors has declined."

"We even had visitors from the United States," he said. "They told us they had never seen such a place for stray animals and that Patiliköy can set an example for the whole world. Unfortunately, instead of promoting and introducing such places to the world, people ignore them."

Volunteers heroes

Kapan said their entire operation is run solely on volunteer work and private donations. "We try to sustain this place with the support of volunteers and money out of our own pockets. Is it enough for all these souls here? Certainly not. We receive no official support or subsidy. It is maintained entirely by animal lover volunteers."

"A person who has a pet certainly knows the costs, the expenses. And we especially take dogs with health problems, which means higher expenses. That is, the number of volunteers and the support we receive from them is not enough. Still, we do our best," he added.

Koç said Patiliköy is a nursing home with an acknowledged, legal title. "We would appreciate it if the government could support us," he said. "We host over 600 lives here and many of them have disabilities. Indeed, we ease the duty of the government, voluntarily and lovingly. Yet certainly, we would be grateful if they could support us with basic needs such as food, heating, or repair works."

Kapan added that affording veterinary and health care services, food and heating in winter were the most significant challenges they faced. "To reduce the population of stray dogs, we need support, especially with sterilization," he said.

Koç said sterilization of stray animals is an issue that local municipalities must support.

"Many municipalities gather stray dogs and leave them on the mountains. But unless you are a wild animal, no one can find food on a mountain. Therefore, living in the cities is their most natural right."

"The society should get used and learn to live with them. The government can raise public awareness on this issue," Koç said.

Koç added that the dream is to see more places like Patiliköy, where disabled animals would be cared for in a natural living environment, fed, sterilized and loved.

Shelters not natural habitats

Koç said animal shelters are merely prison camps for animals and do not offer a living environment. "No living being must be locked up among walls unless it has committed a crime."

Saying that streets have become natural environments for animals after humans built cities, he said stray animals must be treated, sterilized and returned to their neighborhood in 21 days, as envisaged by Turkey's animal protection law.

"Instead of chasing stray animals away, throwing rocks at them, people can leave a bowl of water and leftovers. This will change animals' perception of humans, too," said Kapan.

With the upcoming Ramadan in mind, when people fast to empathize with those devoid of food and water, he said: "People can hardly endure thirst and hunger, especially on hot days and in cold weather, yet most street animals are always hungry, always thirsty. We must see the month of Ramadan as the perfect time to try to understand stray animals."

"You see them, then look away. Someone else sees them, then looks away. But maybe the person who looks away is their last chance of survival," he said.

Patiliköy's founders said leaving a bowl of water is neither tiring nor time-consuming. "We expect people to be more sensitive as summer approaches," they said.

Different stories, same solution

"Every single dog here has a different story; some had traffic accidents, some had a disease, some were abused or exposed to violence. We take those, who cannot support themselves, from the streets, treat them, heal them and rehabilitate them. Once they recover, we try to find a family, a home for them," said Kapan.

Pointing to an exorable German Rottweiler, Kapan said: "Pasha was found with marks of a strong blow on the head. Both of his eyes had gone blind. He had three operations to no avail. Animals like him cannot survive on the streets; they can be hit by cars or hurt by other dogs. That is why we need more places like this."

He added that they expect governments around the world to encourage, promote and support the establishment of foundations like Patiliköy.

Reminding that Turkey's law on the protection of stray animals indicates stray animals are residents of the neighbors they live in, Koç said some people might refuse to recognize the law and expect animals to leave certain zones near neighborhoods, apartment complexes, mosques, or schools – leaving very few places for them to go.

Kapan put forth that humans took over the natural habitat of the animals when they built cities. "As a community, we need to learn to co-exist and acknowledge that cities are their habitats as well," he said.