LOS ANGELES (July 28, 2025) — Beloved actor and comedian Ricky Gervais has joined a growing global outcry against Türkiye’s brutal “massacre law,” which has triggered the widespread roundup and killing of millions of homeless dogs and cats across the country.

“The rounding up and killing of millions of stray animals in Türkiye is heartbreaking and extremely distressing,” said Gervais. “Homeless dogs and cats don’t deserve to be treated with such violent contempt. I stand with In Defense of Animals and call on the Government of Türkiye to reverse the new law, stop killing animals, and fund a spay and neuter program instead.”

Gervais’ powerful endorsement comes ahead of the one-year anniversary of the law’s passage on July 30 — a law that animal protection organizations have condemned as the largest mass killing of homeless animals in modern history.

Turkish protests and animal killing photos available via We Animals Media

The global backlash has been fierce and growing. Protests have erupted in Türkiye and worldwide — including in London, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Latin America, and dozens of European cities — demanding an end to the killings. 

Inside Türkiye, activists have witnessed horrific scenes: dogs poisoned, burned alive, crushed, or buried in garbage trucks — some still breathing. Mass graves have appeared near municipal shelters, prompting urgent calls for international intervention.

Los Angeles protest photos. Photos: In Defense of Animals

On May 9, 2025, Türkiye’s Constitutional Court upheld the law, solidifying its enforcement. This ruling followed pressure from government officials who cited high-profile child injury and death cases, despite the law’s ineffectiveness at addressing root causes of stray populations. Activists argue that the law punishes animals for systemic human failures and mismanagement.

Pikacu was very ill when she was rescued by Ankara Animal Save from a dump in Çubuk. She took a year to recover but is now healthy and waiting for an international adopter at Renkli Rüyalar rescue. Photos: Animal Save

President Erdoğan’s government has mandated all municipalities to remove strays from the streets — even though only 110,000 shelter spaces exist for more than 4 million dogs, according to local estimates. As a result, thousands are being killed or disappeared under official orders, with many municipalities lacking even the most basic infrastructure for humane care.

Turkish animal killing and protest photos available via We Animals Media

More than 11,601 people have already taken action through In Defense of Animals, urging Turkish leaders to repeal the law and reinstate humane street animal policies based on trap-neuter-return (TNR) — a method that was previously required but poorly implemented.

“We are honored that Ricky Gervais is bringing renewed global attention to this horrific injustice in Türkiye,” said Fleur Dawes, Director of International Partnerships at In Defense of Animals. “Türkiye’s street dogs and cats are loved by locals and tourists, and have long been symbols of coexistence. We urge President Erdoğan to reverse this death sentence before more lives are lost.”

Street dogs and cats have been beloved members of the Turkish community for years. Photos: Lucky Paws and Animal Save Movement

Nilgün Engin, leader of Ankara Animal Save has witnessed the roundups first-hand, and saved dozens of cats and dogs. She said, “Türkiye has long been recognized as a country known for its compassion and care for stray animals. However, this reputation is at risk of shifting toward that of a nation associated with cruelty and killing.”

Photos of mass graves, global protests, and Türkiye’s iconic street animals have been widely shared across social media under hashtags including #WithdrawTheLaw, #SaveTurkishDogs, and #StopTheSlaughter.

In Defense of Animals and its international allies continue to call for:

• A complete repeal of Türkiye’s stray slaughter law
• Immediate halt to killings and mass roundups
• Implementation of a nationwide spay/neuter and return program
• International pressure to protect animal rights in Türkiye

Ricky Gervais joins powerful voices who have spoken out against the law including model Heather Mills, Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan, TV presenter and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham, and wildlife protection campaigner, writer, and broadcaster, Dominic Dyer, who demonstrated at the Turkish consulate in London.

London’s latest demonstration drew a crowd of 70 protesters including prominent animal advocate, Dominic Dyer. Photo: Ercan Balcı

Members of the public are urged to learn more and take action to Stop Türkiye’s Gruesome Mass Killing of 4 Million Homeless Dogs & Cats

### NOTES ###

CONTACTS:

• Fleur Dawes, In Defense of Animals, fleur@idausa.org (415) 879 6879
• Nilgün Engin, Ankara Animal Save nilgun@plantbasedtreaty.org

PHOTOS & VIDEO 

• https://bit.ly/RickyTurkishStrays
  
  
• https://bit.ly/LATurkishStraysConsulate
  
  
• London protest
  
  
• Istanbul protest

TOWN HALL

Unchained.TV will host a town hall meeting on Wednesday, August 20 at noon PT

TAKE ACTION

Stop Türkiye’s Gruesome Mass Killing of 4 Million Homeless Dogs & Cats

ORGANIZATIONS

• Animal Save Movement is a global network of activists that bear witness to animals at the gates of slaughterhouses. Their vision is a vegan world for the animals, the planet and health. http://animalsavemovement.org
  
  
• In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a history of defending animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in central California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi, since 1983. https://www.idausa.org
  
  
• UnchainedTV is the world’s only free, nonprofit, streaming TV network to promote the plant-based lifestyle, featuring hundreds of documentaries, series and cooking shows. UnchainedTV is free to download on your phone via the App Store and free to download on TVs via Amazon Fire Stick, Roku device and Apple TV device. https://unchainedtv.com

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