There is a PART I if you hadn't noticed, so yep, start widdat!
I wish I can I say I was suspicious, cautious or what have you. I was giddy with anticipation, I’m finally getting my pup, and it’ll be happily ever after.
One alleyway after another, “THE woman” kept feverishly looking around as if someone was following. Every few steps she would turn back and say “please don’t tell the Belediye about me”. Not knowing what I’ll be ratting her in for I said: “ I promise I won’t”.
A few meters and we reach this shabby rusty gate. She stops, turns around and hisses at me: don’t speak to the man, choose “one”, take it and leave”. I wanted to shout: what man Sherlock? instead I reassuringly muttered: “Cross my heart”
Sure enough, a man – I daren’t look - opened the gate, and ushered us to a small dirty den. A Brown and white pitbull came rushing, frenzily jumping all over us, and at her heels were 5 stark black tiny fur balls. The woman asked” which one do you want. Still dazed by the whole scene I said: I want a male, the largest of the litter. She picked one, checked his genital and said : there you go, a male and big. Without a word I unzipped my coat, tucked the pup (he was so tiny) and rushed out. I glanced back at the deserted mom and 4 puppies, my heart ached, I wish I can take them all, it’s horrid what humans do to those innocent lovable creatures. I don’t know what “her” story was, but I am sure there is one, a heart-breaking one.
The whole ordeal over, the woman was able to relax, and seeing how happy/thankful and protective of the pup I was she started to warm up to me.
Right before the pittbull ban in Istanbul[1] a neighbour of hers, to make a buck – or a Lira - purchased a female pittbull, ya know to breed and sell, because what are animals for if not to kill, torture, eat and abuse. However the ban meant trouble for pittbull owners, and suddenly his golden goose will not lay him golden eggs. So he did what humans do, he threw her and the whole litter out (they were 2 months old). The mom was also sick and suffered some bad injuries. Long story short, this woman rescued her, hid her from the eyes of authority and neighbours and is trying to find homes for the puppies, all the while being very secretive about their breed . I was really in no place to judge this woman’s situation (she is not Turkish by the way, this surely added to her fear) but I know she would be fined a huge amount of money in addition to the dogs being taken away which terrified her so much that later on she kept sending me messages denying they were pittbulls at all, and made up a story not even my mom who knows nada about dogs would believe.
(Note: I really believe that those or any dogs are more than safe in the hands of authorities, i mean Turkish people are among the friendliest and most caring I've ever seen towards animals)
I didn’t push it, how dare I argue with people who put themselves on the line like this (the type of work she does is just phenomenal). I wholeheartedly thanked her and walked away.
With this tiny, black thing resting literally on top of my heart all was good, all was good.
Eager to start my new life I hailed a cab. My first step would be a pet store. In Cihangir, there is literally a vet, a pet shop and a Pilates/Yoga studio at every corner and all within walking distance to my igloo (aka frozen abode).
Five minutes into our ride and the inevitable happens, this lump of flesh starts to gag, and it spills all over me and … yes the car seat. My dilemma now wasn’t that I was embarrassed or that I wasn’t prepared – no surprise there I never am – but how am i gonna communicate this or ANYTHING at all to my Turkish cabby. So I did what every decent human in my position would do, i said nothing and tried to salvage what I could (scooping the you know what) all the while keeping the pokerest face ever.
At the pet-shop, the kind lady – I will later discover she doubled the price of EVERYTHING – completely un-deterred by my disgusting situation stroke my pup, wiped his face with a napkin and started leading me towards everything I needed. I didn’t argue, paid with a smile – and a pained stomach – and bid her farewell intending to never come back again.
To be continued …..