A PETITION calling for action to address the street dog issue in Didim has been launched amid an unprovoked attack on a 75-year-old British tourist.

Mike Eldridge was bitten when he and his wife Jenny were surrounded by a pack of four dogs as they walked in a street between Monastir Cadessi and Ege Cadessi, in Didim, last Monday afternoon (October 20). 

Mr Eldridge, who has Alzheimer’s Disease, suffered a bite mark to the back of his left leg and ripped shorts when one of the dogs launched itself at him.

“It was an extremely frightening experience for us both,” Mrs Eldridge told Voices. “We were walking along when four dogs came at us and started barking. I began shouting and waving my hands to get them away and as we made our way one of the dogs bit Michael.

“It was a completely unprovoked attack. I was scared initially, but was also very angry that we even experienced this without any reason.”

She said Mr Eldridge had attended hospital twice for anti-rabies jabs and would continue the course on his return to the UK shortly. They have been visiting Didim for about ten years as they have property here where they take long holiday breaks.

Mrs Eldridge said that compounding the issue was the lack of ownership or responsibility of the issue at Didim Council level. She visited the council office on Tuesday to report the incident, but left shortly afterwards without being able to find out whom to report the matter.

As part of the recent local council shake-up, it appears that Aydin council is now responsible for Didim Shelter, and by default, street animals in the resort. But when an incident like this happens, there does not seem to be a direct point of contact for the public.

As news filtered through to the community of the attack on Facebook’s Altinkum Debate Group, Didim resident Dyanne Tryska decided to set up an internet petition on www.change.org calling for action to be taken by Didim and Aydin Councils.

The web petition can be found by copying and pasting this into your Internet taskbar:

http://www.change.org/p/didim-belediye-and-aydin-governorate-take-immediate-action-to-address-the-issue-of-aggressive-noisy-and-nuisance-dogs-on-the-streets-and-beaches-of-didim?utm_campaign=friend_inviter_chat&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=permissions_dialog_true&share_id=ajGOGxNaxm

In the petition address, Mrs Tryska says: “A great number of street dogs are placid and cause no problems to anyone. These are not the dogs we are requesting action be taken against.

“We are demanding action only be taken to dogs which have shown aggression to pets, owners walking their pets and to the people of the Didim area, many of whom are now too scared to go out for fear of being attacked. 

“We….demand that Didim Council and Aydin Governorate take immediate and urgent action to address the issue of aggressive, noisy and nuisance dogs on the streets and beaches of Didim.”

She added: “We ask that the Council make a special mission to round up all non tagged dogs and neuter and spay them.

“We ask that the council take immediate action against dogs which are reported to the Council as having shown themselves to be aggressive to other dogs and humans and demand that any dog which has bitten or otherwise caused any injury to any person be culled. Didim Council are not complying with The Animal Welfare Act No 5199 and we ask that this breach, of the Act, is investigated.”

In a Facebook comment on the Didim Voices page, Mrs Tryska added: “I would also like to add that there are some fabulous people like Gill (Erer) and Val (Whyte) who are doing a great job in trying to get dogs spayed, neutered and re-homed but there is only so much they can do unless the authorities pull their finger out and fulfill their legal obligations and provide resources and help.

“But while there are such aggressive dogs on the streets, I fear support for the non aggressive dogs will drop, and it is doing making the volunteers job so much harder.”

The petition has gained more than 170 signatures.

Mrs Eldridge, who has signed the petition, said: “I am a dog lover, but after this experience, I believe that some street dogs should be put to sleep humanely.”