A paralyzed street dog named Dost (Buddy) has become an especially sweet member of the Turkish Parliament's staff, spreading cheer in Ankara as he wanders the state body's halls and gardens in his special wheelchair.
Though there is a happy ending, Buddy's tragic story started in the western city of Isparta about three years ago. As a stray living on the streets, Buddy was permanently injured after he was cruelly hit on the back with a shovel. After learning about the dog's injuries, the canine's first treatment was arranged by Mesut Çal, the president of the humane service Yeşilova Salda Souls Association, in Isparta. Once it became clear that further treatment and surgery were needed, Çal asked for help from his friend Aylin Altunbaşlıer, a police officer who works in Parliament's Security Department in the capital Ankara.
After being transported to the capital, Buddy was operated on in a clinic and returned to the officers at the Parliament building for physical therapy. Once the officers realized their efforts to help rehabilitate him weren't working, he was sent to Istanbul for specialized care. When it became clear he would never walk again, a wheelchair was designed for his hind legs and he was returned to his new diplomatic home in Ankara.
"The dog was brought to us. Our parliamentarians saw him while they were walking around Parliament, and when they learned his story, they wanted to help," Altunbaşlıer told Demirören News Agency (DHA).
"Thanks to our deputies, Buddy was sent to a center in Istanbul that provides physical therapy for disabled animals to regain his former health, but there was no response to the treatment. Members of the Animal Rights Commission, where the animal rights protection laws are discussed in Parliament, discussed the situation with Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop and he gave his approval for Buddy to be adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye,” she said.
Police officers in Parliament's Security Department have now been looking after Buddy for 1 1/2 years. Altunbaşlıer and other police officers take care of the dog, who stays with fellow canines in the bomb-sniffing canine department in the Parliament building.
Thanks to frequent daily walks around the premises, Buddy is well-loved by members of the staff and parliamentarians as the unofficial mascot of the Turkish Parliament. He is even dressed up in suits on national holidays.
"Buddy now lives in his house in the Parliament with his three neighbors, bomb-sniffing dogs. He goes out for walks with the other dogs. We even prepare special food for him. He is not only loved by the entire assembly staff but also brings a smile to the faces of the visitors," Altunbaşlıer said.
