"In 1875 the [Ottoman] Empire was forced to declare bankruptcy," writes Jason Goodwin, author of "Lords of the Horizons." Goodwin continues: "In the last years of the empire, a French firm offered half a million francs to turn 150,000 street dogs in Istanbul into gloves. The Sultan -- very hard pressed for cash -- nobly refused. The dogs were locked up in an old tramp steamer and transported, howling and fighting to a waterless island (Hayırsızada), where they were turned loose." Lucky dogs!
I discovered a Web site forum for Muslims, www.islamonline.net. Ayşe sent an e-mail to the forum and asked if it is wrong for a Muslim to own a dog.
Here is a summary of the reply of Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to the question about the conditions for owning a dog. Dog owning is allowed for Muslims, he says, if they are:
-- A trained dog for hunting.
-- A trained dog as a guide.
-- A dog trained for police duties.
-- A guard dog to guard houses or property.
-- A dog used by farmers to shepherd cattle and sheep.
-- A dog as a pet is not allowed since it is not a very clean animal.
The average Turk reacts in different ways when they cross paths with dogs. It is true to say that pet dogs are becoming more common for Turks in urban centers. Middle and upper-class Turks can afford providing the care and attention dogs require. It costs more to care for a dog here -- imported packaged dog food, injections, routine check-ups at the veterinarian, etc., are expensive.
As the popularity of dogs as a pet increases, so does the number of small, medium and large foreign pet breeds.
The kangal dog is famous here. Turkish experts have published articles about the dogs, and their view corresponds clearly with the public perception: kangal dogs are a "breed apart" and not to be confused or interbred with other Turkish "çoban köpeği" (shepherd dogs). Legends about the prowess of the kangal are numerous.
Depending on the area of town where you live, you'll probably see one or two dog owners walking their dogs in the nearby park. You'll also notice individuals place cat food around for strays and they feed birds. A few weeks ago, I noticed a new sign up in our neighborhood park. It was directed at yours truly: dog owners.
The other day I wanted to walk around the park with the dogs. It seems that the local municipality has decided that taking your dog for a walk in the park is not a good idea. In fact, the sign says it is prohibited! Someone was busy during the night because there were a few signs posted in Turkish around that read "No Dogs!" That's all they said. I am not really a rebel type, but I could not understand why I could not go to the park with my dogs. You probably can guess what I did.
I noticed that some Turkish dog owners were walking their dogs in the park and ignoring the sign so I decided to go ahead and take Ginger and Kila into the park.
As I walked around I half expected to be met by some big official park patrol personnel who would tell me that I was breaking the law of the park and would have to pay a fine -- because I was walking my dogs in the park.
Rather than falling into the mentality of this would not happen back home, instead I remembered that a similar thing happened to a friend of mine in the US.
A couple of years ago she wanted to walk her dog to the park but could not walk though the small town center. Dogs were prohibited from walking down the main street. Her words haunted me:
Sheriff: "Hello. There are NO DOGS ALLOWED here."
Friend: "Yes, I know. But it doesn't make sense."
Sheriff: "I don't make the laws -- I enforce them. Please leave with your dog and I won't fine you."
Friend: "Great. Make sure you tell whoever made the law that I can't get to the park without walking my dog down this street..."
Sheriff: "I won't give you a ticket this time, but don't let me see you with your dog along here again."
As Turks say, the coin dropped (jeton duştu). I realized what it was all about -- in public, dogs should be on a leash, and if the dog defecates the mess should be cleaned up by the owner.
You probably want to bring the whole family when you move, including your pets. Although the trend has been that Turkish dogs are usually working animals used to guard sheep from predators and not normally allowed in the house, this is changing.
Bring the whole family!
