Ozcan Caliskan’s Complaint

The Owner of Oscar

I adopted my dog, bred by Staffturk Kennel, in 2019. I got him at 40 days old, and there were no issues in the first 6 months. However, after 6 months, he gradually developed pimples, itching, and hairless patches. For years, I tried to find a solution by visiting various veterinarians and hospitals. During this time, both my dog and I went through a lot; I faced time and financial difficulties, while my dog endured different medications and treatments. My dog is now 5 years old, and I’ve likely spent as much as a second-hand car on medications and treatments. Eventually, after two years, we discovered that he had ‘Color Dilution Alopecia’. During this period, I took my dog to Staffturk Kennel twice, but there was no improvement or treatment effect. They always responded with, ‘We’ve only seen this in your dog.’ After the diagnosis, I warned them: ‘My dog has been diagnosed with Color Dilution Alopecia, and you should inform others who may face the same issue. This could help prevent them from going through what I did.’ However, I saw that no one was warned, and they hadn’t even informed me in the first place. This condition is genetic and is highly likely to pass from parents to their puppies. It is recommended that these dogs be neutered, but this business is Staffturk Kennel’s main source of income. Would they want such a thing to be discussed? As I said, cancer has a cure, but this condition does not. We can only reduce the symptoms by regularly giving Apoquel and Melatonin, and every two months, I have to administer depot antibiotics and depot corticosteroids. We are stuck with lifelong medication and veterinary care because there is no definitive cure.

I have a regular monthly medication expense between 7,000 and 10,000 TL, and this expense will either increase or remain the same without any reduction. Sadly, I don’t even count the discomfort my dog suffers, and the psychological distress we experience cannot be measured in money. This experience has shown me that animal breeding farms must be shut down, and it revealed how people completely disregard animal health for profit. My advice to you: please adopt animals from the streets. Don’t give money to people who keep animals in cages for months, forcing female dogs to breed. It’s cruel and shameful. Staffturk Kennel must also be shut down.