Action Line #90708 -- Spay/Neuter

  • Published
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint: 

I am writing this complaint in regards to the spay/neutering policy on this base. I was under the impression that fixing your animals was practically a requirement. Since I have been in Turkey for one year now, I have seen plenty of homeless animals posted at the vet/post office/classifieds. What frustrates me is that I have seen pictures of puppies, clearly offspring from a family member's pet, advertised. Recently, there was a litter of 8 puppies advertised. It was stated in the e-mail that I received about these puppies that "they would have to be turned over to the shelter in Adana if they weren't adopted, and will most likely not survive." That is absolutely disgusting. If you cannot accommodate puppies from your own pet, then do not let them have puppies! The same goes with kittens and cats. It seems to me this is almost animal abuse--military personnel and their families are allowing eight living, breathing creatures to be brought into this world, only to endure abandonment and possibly a painful or slow death at the Adana shelter. I would like to know why people are allowed pets if they can't be responsible for them and their children. Why isn't spay/neutering your animals a requirement? And why hasn't anyone brought this disgusting situation to light?

Response: 

While we appreciate your concern, I am not sure the full story regarding the eight puppies was brought to your attention. The story has brought a 'quiet hero' to my attention....a person I applauded for his efforts. 

A U.S. contractor living off base had a stray dog wandering around his home for quite some time. This stray dog gave birth to these eight puppies in the front yard of the member's off-base home. The member graciously took it upon himself to provide proper veterinary care for these puppies; all of this came out of his own pocket. He used many available resources, like bulletin boards and classifieds to help advertise the availability of these pets. He was just trying to find a good home for them. 

Although we do not (and cannot) stop animals from having offspring, we do encourage members to act responsibly for their pets. There is no base policy on spaying/neutering animals, nor do I advocate for there to be one, it is a base policy to have your pets micro-chipped upon arrival to the base. In addition, the Vet Clinic ensures pets accompany owners upon PCSing from Incirlik and/or transfer to another military member. This allows us to track ownership of pets and ensure our military members do not abandon pets. 

I too care for our furry friends, but don't jump to conclusions and remember the actions of a few do not indicate a pandemic problem. Please don't hesitate to call our first class Vet Clinic for more information. They can be reached at 676-3119.