Earlier this year, Yabangee visited Boğaziçi University’s dog sanctuary. In addition to sharing the kinds of cute doggy pictures that one writes home to mother about (I know I did), we also interviewed their director, Defne Arsoy, about the challenges inherent in trying to care for so many dogs in need of special care.
Fast-forward from Spring 2017 to Fall, when this author felt it was time to revisit the organization to see how their work has progressed through the summer. I’m happy to report that BU Paws is still there, nestled in its idyllic little corner of Bogazici’s historic, forested south campus; still full of lovable dogs excited to see visitors along the trail; still fighting every day to give these dogs a better home than the mean streets of Rumeli Hisarüstü.
With winter coming, Defne and BU Paws are fully focused on preparing the facilities for the rain and snow. That means insulating kennels and dog houses, repairing and expanding the doggy cafeteria, and making general improvements that otherwise would have to wait until spring of 2018.
Last year saw some very heavy snow, as some of us may recall. While many of the dogs loved it (I’m sure the resident Husky is anxiously awaiting this year’s snow), for the older and injured dogs the cold and the snow represents a real threat to their health. Out with cold stone surfaces where possible in favor of wooden ones. In comes straw and plastic covers to keep the dogs warm and dry.
BU Paws recently announced an open-house event on October 22 to welcome visitors to the campus and to show off recent winterizing efforts. In addition to the spirit of hospitality, the organization hopes to raise some funds to help pay for the ongoing winterization of the facilities. Anyone interested in attending and supporting BU Paws is welcome, but RSVPs will be required as university security will be checking identification at the gate and there is limited space.
The event will open with coffee and snacks at the university’s picturesque Kennedy Lodge, which overlooks the Bosphorus, followed by a walking tour of the grounds of the dog sanctuary. Attendees should dress casually and wear comfortable walking shoes. Spoiler alert: there will be dogs, some of which like to dig and jump and show love with their tongue. Don’t be surprised if you take a bit of the sanctuary home with you when you leave.
Because of the challenges of managing so many people at once in the presence of so many dogs, this event is limited to adults. Children are welcome at the sanctuary, but parents should make a separate appointment to do so in order to make sure there is proper supervision. That way the children get to interact with the dogs’ full attention, which is usually a more enjoyable experience for children anyway.
For more details and to RSVP, check out the Facebook event page.
Images courtesy of the organization.
