Protection sought for Turkish Zerdava dog breed

The northeastern Turkish city of Trabzon is famous for the unique Zerdava dog, which is not well known breed in dog pedigree literature. However, the Trabzon Zerdava Dog Association President Serdar Ergün has said that his organization is trying to bring attention to the breed and protect the species for future generations.

Zerdava dogs, known for their unique markings and strong personalities, have been living in the region since ancient times, Ergün explained, although there is little official documentation about the breed.

"Zerdava dogs are a petulant breed. They are vey athletic, and have physical features that are structured to help them move very fast," Ergün said.

The dogs, which used to be employed for guarding and hog hunting, have been experiencing hard times.

"Things have been much tougher in the past years. There was no chance of getting close to the dogs. They were called 'hostile' around here," Ergün explained.

Describing how the Zerdava Association hoped to bring the breed to a world platform, Ergün said, "Our associations primary goal is to show and promote this breed. We have been operating since 2013 and will start recruiting members soon."

"In a study conducted by Ankara University last year, DNA samples from the dogs revealed that the species was different from other species and it was in fact a thoroughbred dog," he added.

His organization is in the process of registering the Zerdava dog as an official dog breed of Turkey.