Demolishing Is Easier Than Building: In Turkmenistan, Homes Are Being Torn Down — and Animals Are Losing Their Last Hope

Demolishing Is Easier Than Building: In Turkmenistan, Homes Are Being Torn Down — and Animals Are Losing Their Last Hope In Turkmenistan, problems continue to be addressed not by creating effective mechanisms or seeking humane solutions, but by destroying what already exists. Today, not only people’s homes but also shelters for stray animals are under threat. According to Turkmen.news on 5 September 2026, residents of the ZHBI dacha settlement near Ashgabat were ordered to vacate the area within a very short period and demolish all structures at their own expense. The “Arassa penje” (“Clean Paw”) shelter for stray animals is also facing demolition. Earlier, the settlement of Saglyk suffered a similar fate, where, according to the publication, around 1,500 people lost their homes. The same situation is now unfolding in ZHBI. Behind the bureaucratic wording of “improper use of land” are real families, children, the loss of people’s only homes — and animals that literally have nowhere to go. Demolition Is Easy. But What Has Been Built in Its Place? This is precisely the question that must be put to the Turkmen authorities. If the state is eliminating places where stray animals are cared for, where are the new municipal shelters? Where are the sterilisation and vaccination programmes? Where is the system for registration and responsible pet ownership? Where are the adoption mechanisms? Where is state-supported veterinary care? A shelter can be demolished within hours. Building an effective animal welfare system is much more difficult. But demolishing shelters does not solve the problem of stray animals. It simply forces dogs and cats back onto the streets, where they face even greater danger. Particularly alarming are reports that the campaign to eliminate animal shelters may extend beyond Ashgabat to other parts of the country. If confirmed, this would no longer be an isolated incident but a broader problem requiring a public explanation from the authorities. Cruelty Cannot Be State Policy The treatment of stray animals in Turkmenistan has been raised as a concern before. There have been reports of brutal “clean-up” operations in which animals are killed instead of using modern and humane methods of population control. This approach must change. The state should not destroy animals or punish those who are trying to save them. It should create conditions in which the issue of stray animals can be addressed systematically and humanely. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination, veterinary care, adoption programmes and responsible pet ownership are legitimate and effective ways to address the problem. Mass killing is not. This Issue Will Be Raised on an International Platform Importantly, the treatment and killing of animals is one of the issues that citizens themselves have raised with the Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanch” / Turkmenistan. We are collecting statements and testimonies from citizens in order to represent their concerns and raise these issues at the OSCE international platform in Poland in October 2026. We believe that clear questions must be asked: Why are existing shelters being destroyed instead of state and municipal shelters being created? Who decides what happens to the animals living in these shelters? What measures are being taken to prevent cruelty to animals? And does Turkmenistan have any national programme for the humane management of stray animal populations? Citizens have the right to demand answers. People who spend years feeding, treating and rescuing animals at their own expense should receive support — not be forced to watch the results of their work being destroyed. Demolishing is easier than building. But state policy should be measured not by the number of homes and shelters demolished, but by its ability to protect people, animals and the public interest. Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanch” / Turkmenistan 🌐 dayanchcivil.com 📧 dayanch.civil@gmail.com