Kayseri Kocasinan launches Turkey's first licensed municipal animal shelter

Kayseri's Kocasinan municipality inaugurated a 25,000‑square‑meter Animal Care and Rehabilitation Center, the first municipal facility in the city approved by the provincial governor. Led by Mayor Ahmet Çolakbayrakdar, the complex includes treatment units, clinics, a 5,000‑square‑meter natural‑habitat area, on‑site food production that recycles kitchen waste into high‑nutrient animal feed, and separate living spaces for dogs and cats.

In the Aegean region, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality began construction of a modern animal shelter in Dikili, covering 24,000 sq m with capacity for 2,500 stray animals and accompanying veterinary and administrative units, slated to open by the end of 2026. Additionally, the mayor of Germencik in Aydın province, Burak Zencirci, inspected the local Street Animal Rehabilitation Center, noting ongoing expansions of paddocks and concrete works aimed at improving housing conditions for stray animals.

These projects reflect a broader municipal push in Turkey to improve stray‑animal welfare through dedicated facilities that combine medical care, rehabilitation, and natural‑environment accommodation.