Turkey’s ‘woof express’ takes disabled dogs on a daily ride

An animal lover in Turkey, inspired by her paralysed father, has built a train out of plastic barrels to give daily rides to the disabled dogs at a shelter outside the country’s capital Ankara.

Buket Ozgunlu, chairwoman of the Associaton of Paws Holding onto Life, has attached makeshift dog wagons to an all-terrain vehicle to take dogs out every day. She believes that, like people, the dogs need a change of scene and, if they cannot walk, a drive will have to do.

“This is how the idea for the train came up: my father is also paralysed and disabled. We felt the need to take him out (by car) and make him walk,” Ozgunlu said.

“Then, I said our kids (the dogs) do not see anything, they must want this too because the ones who are disabled are more traumatised, they feel a different intensity of emotions.”

She said the shelter houses 560 dogs rescued from the streets, including 300 who have suffered physically.

“I can say we took all of them from the arms of death,” she said.

Ozgunlu and other shelter workers have painted the plastic barrels in bright colours and plan to add a tarpaulin to provide shade for the dogs to ensure a first-class ride.