Antalya Metropolitan Municipality organized the "Antalya Stray Animals Workshop" to identify issues of stray animals in the city, to raise public awareness, and support cooperation between other public institutions, universities, nongovernmental organizations and animal lovers on "World Stray Animals' Day" which is marked on April 4 every year.

Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek, who attended the workshop, vowed to ensure the welfare of stray animals and the peace of society. "(Because) we as a municipality, not only take care of the public but also animals as they are a part of our society," he emphasized.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Böcek maintained that the world is a living space shared by all living beings. However, with growing urbanization, stray animals are suffering from different problems that need to be addressed.

"We have completed the construction of our 'Stray Animals Temporary Care Home' as per European standards, which we tendered in March 2020, and induced into service. It has a capacity of 1,300 dogs and 700 cats," the mayor noted.

In this care home, a total of seven clinics with orthopedics, an emergency clinic, and a post-orthopedic clinic are available. With two emergency response vehicles, we provide 24/7 service with 24 veterinarians, 12 veterinary technicians, three technicians, 35 animal caretakers and attendees, he added.