Some have been asking about the story on the "Turkey Dogs". For hundreds of years, homeless dogs have been a part of the Turkish environment. Estimates for the number of homeless dogs roaming the streets and in the shelters of Istanbul vary greatly from 70,000 to 150,000.
Once considered a status symbol by the wealthy in Turkey, Golden Retrievers have become more common and less valued. As a result, hundreds end up being released onto the streets dodging traffic and begging for scraps. Some strays are lucky enough to find a place like store fronts where a store owner takes mercy on them, but with few shelters available, dogs of this good-natured breed frequently starve to death or become prey to the thousands of feral dog packs in the forests around the city. Life is very hard for these mostly young Golden Retrievers. Very few live to be senior Goldens in Turkey.