End the Stray Cat and Dog Slaughter in Turkmenistan

The President of Turkmenistan - Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov - reviles dogs and cats. So much so that in one instance he even ordered a man taken into custody after he noticed him walking with his dog while the president passed by in his motorcade. The man was given a choice, officials could shoot his dog, or he could spend 15 days in jail.

Luckily for the dog, the owner chose jail. But for many stray cats and dogs their fate is much more gruesome. On several occasions the president has ordered massive stray cat and dog slaughters in the streets of the capital city, Ashgabat. And the methods are anything but humane. In 2016, government workers strewn the city with poisoned meat. Strays were the target but beloved pets were swept up in the cull as well.

Residents recount getting calls from their children crying as they had to stand and watch helplessly as their pet writhed in agony and died from the poison.

Activists are trying to convince the president to end these senseless killings, and recently the country’s first dog and cat shelter has opened, creating an alternative to these cruel animal slaughters. Yet, that doesn’t mean they will end without people like you standing up and asking him to show compassion to the stray dogs and cats of Turkmenistan.

Please sign the petition and ask President Berdymukhamedov to end the stray slaughter and instead to support and create more animal shelters to house homeless dogs and cats.