It's sickening. Two young men in Turkey — reportedly part of a dogfighting ring —
sliced the ears off a dog and proudly posed for selfies with the grisly "trophies" they tore from this defenseless creature.
It gets worse. Despite international outrage at the incident — not to mention the unspeakable cruelty of these men's crime against a defenseless animal — Turkish officials let the two off easy. They were fined less than $1,000 US.
Turkey has reformed its animal welfare laws in recent years, banning live-animal performances at circuses, requiring people to show that they can take care of the animals they bring onto their homes, and even recognizing dog fighting as purposeful animal cruelty.
Unfortunately, laws aimed at addressing animal cruelty are only as effective if they are enforced and if the punishment is serious enough to be a credible deterrent.
That's where you come in.Until recently,
tourism contributed about three percent of Turkey's gross domestic product and supported around 1.6 million jobs in the country. Conflict in the Middle East has discouraged visitors to the country, and Turkey desperately needs tourism revenue. By adding your name to this petition, you'll let the government of Turkey know that compassion for animals — not just on paper, but also in reality — is a prerequisite for your travel dollars.
Don't let this dog's suffering have been in vain. Please sign Care2's petition to Turkey's Ambassador to the United States now and urge the Turkish government to ensure that justice is both certain and severe for animal abusers. 