Turkse zwerfhond Dukkha is tv-ster in Duitsland geworden - Rond 700 Turkse zwerfhonden vinden nieuwe baasjes in Duitsland

Stray dog becomes a TV star

03-12-2009 ANTALYA - Doğan News Agency, Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey


The story of a stray dog found in Antalya and adopted by a German animal-rights organization has inspired a television series on Germany’s Vox TV.

STAR: Dukkha was a terminally ill street dog found in a small village in Antalya that now works as a drug-sniffing dog in Germany. DHA photo

The new eight-part mini-series tells the story of Dukkha, a terminally ill Turkish street dog found in a small village in the Mediterranean province who was healed with the help of the animal welfare charity Care-4-life e.V. and trained as a drug-sniffing dog in Germany.

Annemarie Neuner, who came to Antalya on holiday 24 years ago and decided to stay, is the person behind Dukkha’s journey to becoming a TV star. Neuner works in cooperation with Care-4-life and has so far helped around 700 stray dogs and 40 cats find new owners in Germany.

Neuner’s 18-year-old son Fatih saw Dukkha on the street in February 2008. The dog was severely injured, but disappeared before Fatih could catch it. Annemarie and Fatih then circulated 15 collars in the neighborhood and asked people to catch the dog for them if possible.

One day later, a 6-year-old girl brought the dog, which was immediately taken to a veterinarian.
“We then moved the dog to Germany with the help of Care-4-life,” said Neuner. “There, Dukkha was trained as a drug-detecting dog and started working at airports.”

According to Neuner, Dukkha’s story has attracted great interest in Germany, where the dog has already appeared in many news stories. The peak of Dukkha’s career as a TV star will be an eight-part series filmed in Antalya, where the dog wandered the streets just two years ago.

“Stray dogs are not popular among Turkish people. Even those who want a dog want it to be bred,” said Neuner.
“When we find a dog here, we have it [checked] by a veterinarian and cured if necessary,” she said, adding that the dogs are then sent to new owners in Germany or other countries.

Neuner said more than 700 animals have been sent abroad so far, all with the necessary legal papers and documents.

“Stray dogs always face problems,” said Neuner. “Dukkha’s story will set an example for street dogs in Turkey and all around the world.”

(Bron: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/)
(Bron foto: Hurriyet Daily News)