Help Our Turkish Partners

With no end to the CDC ban in sight, our Turkish rescue partners need our help now more than ever!!

If you follow us on Facebook, you have probably seen and read about the GoFundMe that we have put together for our rescue partners in Turkey. They need our help now more than ever. Not a day goes by without requests to help abandoned goldens, most of them in desperate need of medical help. Winter has set in, the shelters are overcrowded, and the rescuers are running out of room and resources to care for the goldens in need. Making it worse, the value of the Turkish lira has dropped dramatically, and pet supplies and medications are costing 3 times more than they did last month. It’s even getting more difficult to find and afford quality pet food, which they hope to stockpile to get through the winter. Without the resources to care for them, they are having to leave many needy dogs on the streets. The government is being less tolerant to strays, which makes their future very bleak. The president of Turkey has ordered municipalities to pick up all strays and take them to shelters. The problem with this is that the shelters are considered “death camps” for animals. Plus, Turkey’s three largest cities (Izmir, Ankara and Istanbul) have over 500,000 stray dogs together. While we can’t bring any dogs over yet, eventually the ban will be lifted. There will likely be new requirements for rabies titers, which will increase transport costs. But their immediate need is financial, so that they can continue to help the goldens in their care, like leo, Dost, Pascal, Pasha, and Amigo.

leo and Dost both had severe leg fractures that have been repaired, and Dost (meaning “close friend”) still needs a hip replacement. Pascal was found with severe dermatitis and puncture wounds on his feet from sharp

weeds between his toes. Pasha’s family left him at an automotive industrial site when they got older, hoping someone would take care of him. And Amigo was found as a survivor from a car crash.

All proceeds from this fundraiser will be sent to Gamze, Yasemin, and Sevil to care for the many precious goldens that need them. You can use the GoFundMe link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/love-has-noborders-help-our-turkish-partners or you can send a check to SEVA GRREAT, PO Box 8014, Yorktown, VA 23693.

With our help now, hopefully they can weather this storm and get back to sending us goldens once the ban is lifted. We will continue to update you on the progress of these dogs and many others in their care. While it's true that dogs see a lesser number of colors than humans do, they still see several different colors, and can also see the saturation of yellow, blue, and grey as well. So they're not colorblind.

Also, it's important to note that this unique eyesight gives dogs the ability to see much better in the dark than humans. This is because a dog's retina has more 'rod' cells than 'cone' cells. While rod cells are better at working in low-light, cones are responsible for color detection.

5. 1 Dog Year Always Means 7 Human Years

Here's another widespread myth - several folks tend to believe that dogs age exactly according to human years, with one dog year strictly equal to 7 human years. Well, it doesn't exactly work that way, and let us explain how.

While it is true that a dog's lifespan is considerably shorter than that of a human, there are lots of other factors that decide their lifespan as well. For example, larger breed dogs tend to have a shorter life span, while smaller sized dogs live longer. So, the correlation is not as straightforward as saying 1 dog year equals 7 human years!

6. Dogs Lick Themselves To Heal An Injury

Remember our very first point - that dogs don't exactly have clean mouths? Well, now that we busted that myth, it's also time to bust this one! A lot of folks believe that if a dog licks their own open wounds, it would actually speed up healing.

The truth is the contrary - the germs and microbes in the dog's mouth can get transferred to the wound by licking. This can make the wound worse and lead to an infection. So, if anything, licking their own wound would end up delaying the healing process. So, if you want your little furball's injuries to heal as soon as possible you need to do whatever it takes to stop them from licking the affected area constantly!

7. Dogs Wag Tails Only When They're Happy

If you're greeted by your doggo with his tail wagging away, it may well mean that he or she is very happy to see you. But wait - that's not the whole story! While a wagging tail could indicate joy, it can also mean a lot of other emotions as well.

For example, dogs can also resort to wagging their tails when they're excited, or even scared, anxious, or nervous about something. This shows that a wagging tail doesn't always symbolize positive emotions.

To better decode how your dog is feeling, pay close attention to the rest of their body language - look at his/her ear position, overall stance, and look in their eyes before you judge what's happening.

8. A Backyard Can Replace Dog Walking

There are several dog owners that believe that having a huge backyard in their home means that they don't have to take their dogs for walks anymore. After all, the yard is big enough for them to roam around in, right? Wrong!

Even if you have a huge backyard, your dog is most likely not going to run in it, and for good reason. Dogs need to wander in unrestricted spaces that are not fenced off to imitate their evolutionary instinct of roaming like a wolf pack. This need can easily be fulfilled by taking them on a walk.

In fact, if your dog runs in a closed-off space like a backyard, it might lead to a build-up of more anxious energy, which won't be good for them.

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