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Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There
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Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

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Millions of cats and dogs are homeless in Turkey. Most of them were born on the street, but it is also increasingly common to find animals who have been abandoned. Unfortunately, people tend to leave their former pets in the mountains and desolate areas so that it is much harder for the animals to follow them home. This means that the animals are more likely to struggle to find food and water and will often face harsh weather conditions. They also remain vulnerable to attacks by unwelcoming communities and dog catchers.

Thankfully, during my last trip to Turkey, I met an incredible woman named Nuray, who has dedicated her life to saving stray dogs there.

More info: gofundme.com | Instagram

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    In Turkey, it is common to discover abandoned animals in the mountains or neglected areas. They are struggling to find food or water

    Fortunately, during my last trip to Turkey, I met Nuray, who is one of the few exceptionally kind residents who is looking after the neglected dogs

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Nuray specifically drives up to the hills of Sapanca, Turkey, where hundreds of stray dogs live with very little access to food and water. For the last 10 years, she has been feeding and taking care of these animals. It takes her about 2 hours to drive by all her stops and she does this almost every night after work.

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    For the last 10 years, she has driven up to the hills of Sapanca to feed and take care of the stray animals there

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

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    She has been doing this all by herself for years and invests all her own time and money into helping these adorable beings

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Nuray also drives to local restaurants and hotels in Sapanca, collecting any unwanted food that she can feed to the stray dogs. On some sad occasions, Nuray notices that some of the dogs may be injured or sick and so she rushes them to the vets as well.

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    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Nuray accepts donations since it is becoming increasingly expensive for her to buy fuel and food

    At this time when the Turkish lira continues to drop in value, it is becoming increasingly expensive for Nuray to buy fuel and food. She accepts donations when she can and is hoping to set up her own website soon, to find a way for people to help her with some of these expenses. In the meantime, I have set up a Gofundme and will continue to share her amazing story.

    Nuray also uses a Turkish website where you can donate pet food.

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

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    Nuray said to me that these dogs are like her children, with their own names, personalities and stories

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    She believes that all animals deserve love and that if you have the opportunity to help, then you should

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

    Almost Every Day After Work, This Woman Drives Up The Hills Of Sapanca In Turkey To Take Care Of Neglected Dogs There

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    Yasemin Gava

    Yasemin Gava

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

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    Yasemin Gava

    Yasemin Gava

    Author, Community member

    This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

    Gabrielė Malukaitė

    Gabrielė Malukaitė

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi there! I'm Gabrielė, but you can also catch me responding to Gab, Gabi, Gabert, or Gabe – take your pick. Professionally, I'm the senior community manager over at Bored Panda, helping people share their awesome work and connecting artists with a worldwide audience. Beyond work, you'll catch me traveling, listening to vinyl and diving into movies, art exhibitions, and concerts. I'm a culture buff at heart, always eager to explore and embrace the richness of the human experience.

    Read less »

    Gabrielė Malukaitė

    Gabrielė Malukaitė

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    Hi there! I'm Gabrielė, but you can also catch me responding to Gab, Gabi, Gabert, or Gabe – take your pick. Professionally, I'm the senior community manager over at Bored Panda, helping people share their awesome work and connecting artists with a worldwide audience. Beyond work, you'll catch me traveling, listening to vinyl and diving into movies, art exhibitions, and concerts. I'm a culture buff at heart, always eager to explore and embrace the richness of the human experience.

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Alev Koseoglu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I personally know Nuray and have gone a few times up the hill with her just to see it for myself It is a thankless job but the dogs love her and no wonder, she does everything she can for them. The second time I went up with her, two dogs were run over right in front our eyes. It was awful. The guy ran off. However, she quickly scooped these dogs up and took them to the vets. One had a broken hip and the other dog's skin on his leg was torn off. Thankfully, she managed to get one of those dogs adopted. The other one I call Flash runs up and down the hill following her car when she delivers food nearly everyday. She gets all the dogs neutered (luckily the government usually provides funds for this) and gives medicine and care ( no help) to ones with illnesses and injuries. In addition, the dogs population increases because people continue to dump unwanted dogs up on those hills but thank goodness there is an angel like her around who cares for them.

    Klara Lorinczi
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s so good she’s helping them. Please keep posting - I will make a donation as soon as I am able.

    Jill Tremblay
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would be really nice if a Vet would donate their time to Spay and Neuter as many as possible. Kudos to her for her compassion.

    Cathy Bohan
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The comment above says the government is funding the spaying and neutering. She take them to the vet. She's an amazing person

    Murat Koseoglu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well done Nuray, they are stray dogs left by their owners or abandoned unfortunately and you helping them out and trying to find them a new home is such a wonderful thing your doing. Thank you,Yasemin for putting this out there and Jac and I have donated to this cause.

    Lorraine Piccarillo
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I Think This LOVELY KIND WOMEN Is An ANGLE**** GOD BLESS HER 😏 An KEEP Her Well an HEALTHY** SHE Is ONE Of The VERY Best ❤️ in This WORLD 🙌 We Need MORE WONDERFUL ❤️ HUMAN BEINGS Like This WOMEN ANGEL***** Those Innocent Helpless 🐕 DOGS Look at Her With SOO Much LOVE* GOD SENT Her To Them**** THANK YOU**

    Lorraine Piccarillo
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    GOD BLESS ALL THE MANY Homeless Helpless 🐕 DOGS In This BAD CRUEL WORLD. The DOGS ARE SOO INNOCENT* THEY Only No What MAN Teaches Them. The Animals Are SOO Much LIKE GOD* BAD MEN an WOMEN Are 😈 Devil's. And They Have SOO Much HATE In There ❤️ HEARTS. THE Animals Are Better Then The VERY BAD PEOPLE THAT Are Out There in The WORLD. THANK YOU ANGEL LADY For Protecting An LOVING ❤️ ALL Those Homeless Helpless 🐕 DOGS** I LOVE YOU An WHAT You Do****

    happycamper
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    hey Yasemin, thank you for sharing this story. will all the money from the gofundme go to the support of Nuray's work? I'm happy to donate, but i wanted to check, hope that's ok.

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey! Yes of course you can ask and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, all the money from the Gofundme will go towards buying dog food and paying for vet expenses for those dogs that are unwell and need medical attention. I have written down some examples of the types of costs below, but I will also publish receipts on the Gofundme page as the money is spent. I hope that answers your question, but do let me know if there is anything else you would like to know! - The dogs consume on average 70 pack of 15kg food per month - Food expenses amount to around 10,000 Turkish Lira (TRY)* per month - Medicines to treat skin diseases, fleas and ticks cost around 70 - 200 Turkish Lira (TRY) - Vet fees for surgery or treatment of serious diseases cost around 2,000 - 3,000 Turkish Lira (TRY)

    Load More Replies...
    happycamper
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    thanks for your response, I just donated! maybe if there was a facebook/ instagram page with photos, updates etc, there could be a link for people who want to donate on a more regular basis?

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you so much!!! We are working on making her a website, in the meantime Nuray posts regularly on Instagram about the dogs. She also uses the vet's Turkish website where you can donate pet food, the link is in her Instagram bio @sapanca_orman_cocuklari

    Ethan Thear
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nuray Is a bloody legend. She drives almost 2 hours from work almost every day and feeds. them She should be recocnized more

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you to everyone who has commented and left messages of love and support. Nuray and I are so grateful to you all. Thank you as well to all those who have made a donation, this will be a great help to Nuray and her dogs! 278969739_...5a8bad.jpg 278969739_742810220462344_2338568248142174516_n-626ed525a8bad.jpg

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Turkey has always had a lot of stray dogs, they are part of the landscape and for centuries have lived in cities and villages across the country. Recently however, it has also become popular for people to purchase breed dogs as puppies to have as pets. Unfortunately, as their pets become bigger, many of them get abandoned. Nuray drives specifically up these hills because here there are multiple packs of dogs who have either been abandoned or driven out of the village area. Unfortunately this is also due to Turkey's president pushing for towns to remove their dogs from the streets. The further they are from the centre, the harder it is for them to find food and water.

    Selim
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Nice try but she is not angel. What she and people like her do is only causing a bigger hungry dog packs all over the country. It looks like she is helping them but no, she is taking care of unregistered, sick and abandoned dogs only to help make the population bigger. Almost everyday another person gets attacked by stray dogs. They are everywhere, rich neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods... why? Because useless cruel people don't let the cities collect them. Their answer is ready: "shelters are no good for them." Then fine, let them eat us. They usually don't care about nothing if it is not a dog. The solution is simple, don't let idiot people have pets so they can understand abandoning pets is harmful everybody and neutering them strictly. This kinda people have  dog minds in human shape. When they spot the city dog collect team, they rush to them and bite the people before the dogs!!

    Joy
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You make a fair point about people buying pets as a novelty accessory and then abandoning them, but that's not what this post is about. It's above the love, warmth and affection this incredible woman has for these dogs. It's about her dedication and commitment to a group that rely on and need her. They've not been forgotten and the fact this lady has 'adopted' them means it's another ocean of good in a world of resentment. View the images again and ask yourself would your heart not soar if alone, hungry and vulnerable you knew that someone cared enough to give and show you love asking for nothing in return.

    Load More Replies...
    Alev Koseoglu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I personally know Nuray and have gone a few times up the hill with her just to see it for myself It is a thankless job but the dogs love her and no wonder, she does everything she can for them. The second time I went up with her, two dogs were run over right in front our eyes. It was awful. The guy ran off. However, she quickly scooped these dogs up and took them to the vets. One had a broken hip and the other dog's skin on his leg was torn off. Thankfully, she managed to get one of those dogs adopted. The other one I call Flash runs up and down the hill following her car when she delivers food nearly everyday. She gets all the dogs neutered (luckily the government usually provides funds for this) and gives medicine and care ( no help) to ones with illnesses and injuries. In addition, the dogs population increases because people continue to dump unwanted dogs up on those hills but thank goodness there is an angel like her around who cares for them.

    Klara Lorinczi
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s so good she’s helping them. Please keep posting - I will make a donation as soon as I am able.

    Jill Tremblay
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would be really nice if a Vet would donate their time to Spay and Neuter as many as possible. Kudos to her for her compassion.

    Cathy Bohan
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The comment above says the government is funding the spaying and neutering. She take them to the vet. She's an amazing person

    Murat Koseoglu
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well done Nuray, they are stray dogs left by their owners or abandoned unfortunately and you helping them out and trying to find them a new home is such a wonderful thing your doing. Thank you,Yasemin for putting this out there and Jac and I have donated to this cause.

    Lorraine Piccarillo
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I Think This LOVELY KIND WOMEN Is An ANGLE**** GOD BLESS HER 😏 An KEEP Her Well an HEALTHY** SHE Is ONE Of The VERY Best ❤️ in This WORLD 🙌 We Need MORE WONDERFUL ❤️ HUMAN BEINGS Like This WOMEN ANGEL***** Those Innocent Helpless 🐕 DOGS Look at Her With SOO Much LOVE* GOD SENT Her To Them**** THANK YOU**

    Lorraine Piccarillo
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    GOD BLESS ALL THE MANY Homeless Helpless 🐕 DOGS In This BAD CRUEL WORLD. The DOGS ARE SOO INNOCENT* THEY Only No What MAN Teaches Them. The Animals Are SOO Much LIKE GOD* BAD MEN an WOMEN Are 😈 Devil's. And They Have SOO Much HATE In There ❤️ HEARTS. THE Animals Are Better Then The VERY BAD PEOPLE THAT Are Out There in The WORLD. THANK YOU ANGEL LADY For Protecting An LOVING ❤️ ALL Those Homeless Helpless 🐕 DOGS** I LOVE YOU An WHAT You Do****

    happycamper
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    hey Yasemin, thank you for sharing this story. will all the money from the gofundme go to the support of Nuray's work? I'm happy to donate, but i wanted to check, hope that's ok.

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey! Yes of course you can ask and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, all the money from the Gofundme will go towards buying dog food and paying for vet expenses for those dogs that are unwell and need medical attention. I have written down some examples of the types of costs below, but I will also publish receipts on the Gofundme page as the money is spent. I hope that answers your question, but do let me know if there is anything else you would like to know! - The dogs consume on average 70 pack of 15kg food per month - Food expenses amount to around 10,000 Turkish Lira (TRY)* per month - Medicines to treat skin diseases, fleas and ticks cost around 70 - 200 Turkish Lira (TRY) - Vet fees for surgery or treatment of serious diseases cost around 2,000 - 3,000 Turkish Lira (TRY)

    Load More Replies...
    happycamper
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    thanks for your response, I just donated! maybe if there was a facebook/ instagram page with photos, updates etc, there could be a link for people who want to donate on a more regular basis?

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you so much!!! We are working on making her a website, in the meantime Nuray posts regularly on Instagram about the dogs. She also uses the vet's Turkish website where you can donate pet food, the link is in her Instagram bio @sapanca_orman_cocuklari

    Ethan Thear
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nuray Is a bloody legend. She drives almost 2 hours from work almost every day and feeds. them She should be recocnized more

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you to everyone who has commented and left messages of love and support. Nuray and I are so grateful to you all. Thank you as well to all those who have made a donation, this will be a great help to Nuray and her dogs! 278969739_...5a8bad.jpg 278969739_742810220462344_2338568248142174516_n-626ed525a8bad.jpg

    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Turkey has always had a lot of stray dogs, they are part of the landscape and for centuries have lived in cities and villages across the country. Recently however, it has also become popular for people to purchase breed dogs as puppies to have as pets. Unfortunately, as their pets become bigger, many of them get abandoned. Nuray drives specifically up these hills because here there are multiple packs of dogs who have either been abandoned or driven out of the village area. Unfortunately this is also due to Turkey's president pushing for towns to remove their dogs from the streets. The further they are from the centre, the harder it is for them to find food and water.

    Selim
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Nice try but she is not angel. What she and people like her do is only causing a bigger hungry dog packs all over the country. It looks like she is helping them but no, she is taking care of unregistered, sick and abandoned dogs only to help make the population bigger. Almost everyday another person gets attacked by stray dogs. They are everywhere, rich neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods... why? Because useless cruel people don't let the cities collect them. Their answer is ready: "shelters are no good for them." Then fine, let them eat us. They usually don't care about nothing if it is not a dog. The solution is simple, don't let idiot people have pets so they can understand abandoning pets is harmful everybody and neutering them strictly. This kinda people have  dog minds in human shape. When they spot the city dog collect team, they rush to them and bite the people before the dogs!!

    Joy
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You make a fair point about people buying pets as a novelty accessory and then abandoning them, but that's not what this post is about. It's above the love, warmth and affection this incredible woman has for these dogs. It's about her dedication and commitment to a group that rely on and need her. They've not been forgotten and the fact this lady has 'adopted' them means it's another ocean of good in a world of resentment. View the images again and ask yourself would your heart not soar if alone, hungry and vulnerable you knew that someone cared enough to give and show you love asking for nothing in return.

    Load More Replies...
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