A Turkish couple have taken dozens of stray dogs into their home to keep them warm amid freezing weather.
Tugay Abukan and Burcu Yuksel have long been feeding local animals but the snowy snap – which shut airports and caused widespread disruption in Istanbul – has led them to open up their house too.
More than 60 lucky dogs have been given some respite from the bitter cold by the pair, who live in Kuzey Forest, where many are abandoned by their original owners.
Burcu explained: ‘Because of the bad weather we opened the doors of our home to all the street animals who don’t have protection, don’t have a family.
‘Right now we have over 60.’
Her partner Tugay – known as the ‘forest angel’ for his work feeding hundreds of street dogs for 13 years – has made it his life’s mission to take care of as many strays as he can.
He says he has seen a steady increase in the number of pets being left in the wood near his home, when he goes out into the forest to feed them.
Tugay explained: ‘When they ask us why we live in the forest, we say “for the children.”
‘This is their feeding spot and this is where they’re abandoned.
‘So we found a place here, we rented a home and settled here.’
He continued: ‘There are many children (dogs) who take refuge with us.
‘There are those who are sick, those who are elderly. Our door is always open.’
Statistics are difficult to verify, but estimates suggest there could be 400,000 to 600,000 dogs and cats living on the streets of Istanbul alone.
The recent snow, ice and bitter temperatures which prompted the couple to bring some of the dogs inside for extra care has caused chaos in the Turkish capital.
Neighboring Greece has also seen disruption, with major roads block and widespread power outages.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE : Severe sub-zero weather brings huge snowfall to Athens – and snowball fights in the streets
