Chris Evans, Voices.

Everyone who has visited Turkiye knows we have a secondary population. It consists entirely of stray animals, writes Chris Evans.

The ones in the Didim area are probably the luckiest of them all. There are many locals and expats who go out of their way to feed and care for the street animals. Mostly, we are repaid with affection and laughter. The animals aren’t stupid. They know being friendly will get them food, water, and a few tummy tickles.

It may seem the perfect balance between humans and animals, but there’s a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to look after as many of the animals as possible.

Didim animal shelter has undergone a lot of changes in recent times. It now has three vets, four nurses, and several other employees who look after their residents on a daily basis. Currently, there are around 200 stray dogs and cats.

It’s a far bigger undertaking than many realise. Didim Belediye finances as much as public funds will allow, but, as with so many calls on the public purse, there’s always more required.

Donations have allowed for an X-ray machine and all the related equipment, including orthopaedic kits. There are now two quarantine rooms for the stray cats, a new surgery, and an operating theatre. It’s also one of the few shelters in Turkiye which treats dogs for mange with specialist medicated shampoos. It all costs money.

None of it would be possible without the army of volunteers who help walk the dogs, clean the kennels, and even feed the street animals in the wider Didim area.

This is where Care Of Didim Animals (CODA) comes into the equation. It is a registered charity working with the shelter. Although everyone works closely together, CODA cannot collect stray animals. A phone call to the shelter is still the best way of helping a sick animal, as the team will come out as quickly as possible to care for them. CODA will, of course, try to help where it can.

There is a lot CODA supplies. For example, all the dog kennels now have beds to make them easier to clean and more comfortable for the dogs. Sponsors have been found for almost all the beds, but there are still a handful of slots left if you’d like to help. Sponsoring a bed costs just TL1,600 (£45).

This is where we see CODA’s main function. It raises funds to help the shelter and also the volunteers in the area who feed the stray animals. Currently, more than 50 bags of food a month are delivered to the volunteers. With prices going up, the fundraising efforts have never been so vital. Every penny raised by CODA goes directly to supporting the shelter and the volunteers.

There are various ways CODA raises the funds required. It has two table top sales a week. The first is on a Sunday at the same venue as the Wednesday market in Didim. The second on a Tuesday in Akbuk. There is an annual calendar with opportunities for sponsorship, fashion shows, Christmas and Easter extravaganzas, the Boxing Day swim, and party boat trips over the summer. This year there will also be a celebration of afternoon tea and raffle to coincide with Mother’s Day in Turkiye.

Volunteers can also help without donating money. Every Wednesday and Saturday, CODA organises volunteers to walk the dogs and help keep the shelter clean for them. A walk around the circuit with one of the strays has been the highlight of many people’s holidays in Didim. Giving up a few short hours allows you to see how much the effort means to the dogs.

One issue Didim, and most other parts of Turkiye, has is the lack of a pet cemetery or crematorium. Discussions are currently ongoing with all parties to see if facilities can be put in place to give any animals which pass away a respectful send off. It will, undoubtably, require a level of fundraising to purchase the machinery required for a crematorium, but with the closest being in Istanbul, it seems a project worth pursuing. It will also be available to private pet owners, for a small fee, which will cover the running costs of a much needed facility in the area.

Many people give up a lot of their time to help the street animals. There will always be more that can be done. For the moment, CODA continues to fundraise and work with the shelter, Didim Belediye, and volunteers to provide the best facilities and access to help to support our stray population.

If you’d like to make a donation to CODA, you can do so through its PayPal account using coda@keemail.com. Alternatively, you can contact them and volunteer to help walking the dogs by visiting its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/codafb1. There are further fundraising initiatives coming later in the year, so it’s worth following the Facebook page and Voices Newspaper to keep abreast of things.