Charity unfazed by rain
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Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 01, 2008 00:00
BODRUM - It was ironic that rain like cats and dogs almost spoiled a fundraising event for stray dogs, but Bodrum's animal lovers continued and raised almost YTL 2,000 for a dog shelter in Güllük. Another sale will be held in early spring.
Gray rain clouds and wind swept over Bitez Bay last Saturday at 11:00 a.m. just as volunteers took their places at tables loaded with bric-a-brac, books, videos and clothes as part of a fundraising sale. The show, however, went on.
The fundraising effort was organized by Bitez residents to raise money for animal welfare and in particular stray dogs regularly seen around streets and beaches at this time of the year.
Dogs newly dumped by summer owners, or by people who realize they cannot look after a pet, and old strays, who have staked out some territory and avoided collection by the already full Bodrum animal shelter that houses 600 dogs, roam the streets causing concern about breeding and parasites.
Liz Çakır, a longtime Bitez resident and one of the fundraising organizers, said they were raising money for independent and urgent action to keep dog numbers down and to keep those that were found, safe, happy and well. She said volunteers had picked up dogs hit by cars and taken them straight to the vet to be operated on. They had also helped villagers obtain the correct vaccinations for yard dogs.
The weather might have turned a few people away, but after a squall as the stalls opened, the clouds cleared. The steady flow of supporters and shoppers picked through donated goods and then retired to drink at the Defne Restaurant’s garden bar where the sale was held. At the entrance, energetic volunteers from the sponsor, Bitez Tabiat ve Kültür Varlıklarını Koruma Derneği, (Bitez Association), or BITAV, and others from Turgutreis tempted new arrivals with delicious cakes.
Treating sick dogs
The volunteers aim to use sale proceeds to neuter and spray as many local dogs as possible, and to vaccinate or treat sick dogs, then release them back onto the streets.
The sale raised YTL 1,770, "despite the dodgy weather," Çakır said. More funds were expected and they hope to reach YTL 2,000. Çakır thanked all those who had donated goods and those who turned out to help, especially the ladies from Turgutreis. She said they would hold another sale in early spring.
Steve Nimmo was at the Bitez sale, with his dogs on either side, while his wife, June, prowled the tables loaded with treasures. Every so often, another bag would join those already propped up against a pillar near Steve. The couple’s t-shirts, which proclaimed the proud fact they are part of the small but dedicated band of animal lovers in Güllük.
They are dedicated to giving stray dogs a home. Steve and June brought their five Yorkshire terriers with them when they moved to Gümbet in Bodrum last year.
Having decided to stay and live in the area, they found a home in Güllük and set about looking after their own dogs and strays they found in town.
Steve said a group of five expats work to help the dog shelter run by the Güllük Municipality, which allows the group to raise money at stalls at the market and in front of the local Joe’s Bar.
Steve and June were in Bitez, two animal lovers who donated goods for the sale. Two of their dogs stayed beside Steve, the excited little Yorky, Sasha, and the beautiful spotted local pointer dog, Alysia. Only after watching her for a few minutes playing with other dogs, would other shoppers realise she had no eyes.
"As far as we know, she was blind as a puppy, but her eyes were infected when we found her, so we had to remove them," Steve said. "The security guard objected when I took her into the bank with me, but I said that blind dogs are allowed everywhere!"
The fundraising effort was organized by Bitez residents to raise money for animal welfare and in particular stray dogs regularly seen around streets and beaches at this time of the year.
Dogs newly dumped by summer owners, or by people who realize they cannot look after a pet, and old strays, who have staked out some territory and avoided collection by the already full Bodrum animal shelter that houses 600 dogs, roam the streets causing concern about breeding and parasites.
Liz Çakır, a longtime Bitez resident and one of the fundraising organizers, said they were raising money for independent and urgent action to keep dog numbers down and to keep those that were found, safe, happy and well. She said volunteers had picked up dogs hit by cars and taken them straight to the vet to be operated on. They had also helped villagers obtain the correct vaccinations for yard dogs.
The weather might have turned a few people away, but after a squall as the stalls opened, the clouds cleared. The steady flow of supporters and shoppers picked through donated goods and then retired to drink at the Defne Restaurant’s garden bar where the sale was held. At the entrance, energetic volunteers from the sponsor, Bitez Tabiat ve Kültür Varlıklarını Koruma Derneği, (Bitez Association), or BITAV, and others from Turgutreis tempted new arrivals with delicious cakes.
Treating sick dogs
The volunteers aim to use sale proceeds to neuter and spray as many local dogs as possible, and to vaccinate or treat sick dogs, then release them back onto the streets.
The sale raised YTL 1,770, "despite the dodgy weather," Çakır said. More funds were expected and they hope to reach YTL 2,000. Çakır thanked all those who had donated goods and those who turned out to help, especially the ladies from Turgutreis. She said they would hold another sale in early spring.
Steve Nimmo was at the Bitez sale, with his dogs on either side, while his wife, June, prowled the tables loaded with treasures. Every so often, another bag would join those already propped up against a pillar near Steve. The couple’s t-shirts, which proclaimed the proud fact they are part of the small but dedicated band of animal lovers in Güllük.
They are dedicated to giving stray dogs a home. Steve and June brought their five Yorkshire terriers with them when they moved to Gümbet in Bodrum last year.
Having decided to stay and live in the area, they found a home in Güllük and set about looking after their own dogs and strays they found in town.
Steve said a group of five expats work to help the dog shelter run by the Güllük Municipality, which allows the group to raise money at stalls at the market and in front of the local Joe’s Bar.
Steve and June were in Bitez, two animal lovers who donated goods for the sale. Two of their dogs stayed beside Steve, the excited little Yorky, Sasha, and the beautiful spotted local pointer dog, Alysia. Only after watching her for a few minutes playing with other dogs, would other shoppers realise she had no eyes.
"As far as we know, she was blind as a puppy, but her eyes were infected when we found her, so we had to remove them," Steve said. "The security guard objected when I took her into the bank with me, but I said that blind dogs are allowed everywhere!"