Man Turns His Farm Into A Shelter For All Kinds Of Animals And It’s Wonderfully Chaotic
On a farm near Istanbul, one man turned everyday animal rescue into something much bigger, and much messier. Mert Akkök has built a private shelter that takes in dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, birds, and plenty of animals that would not normally end up in the same place.
What makes his setup stand out is the sheer variety of animals living there, from disabled seagulls to a blind horse and a baby donkey. Akkök spends his days feeding, caring for, and trying to rehome the ones who need it most, while the rest settle into life on the farm like they belong there.
It is a chaotic little world, and it only gets more interesting from here.
Mert Akkök has a private animal shelter on his farm near Istanbul, Turkey
“I was born with this. It is not something I have decided or thought of. It is more like an instinct embedded in me. I can’t stop helping homeless animals.”
“I come across these animals myself. In Turkey, the government is not allowed to kill homeless animals or to put them in shelters for life. This is banned by law (which is very good).”
“Our government has to neuter and vaccinate them and then put them back on the streets. So, they are everywhere.”
“Anyone in Istanbul can see many homeless cats and dogs wandering around the city.”
“But some of them are dumped outside the city because there are so many. These animals face significant difficulties in surviving.”
“People like me (I am not the only one) try to feed them regularly.”
“I have between 10 and 20 dogs on my farm. I rescue them from junkyards, forests, rural areas, etc. I try to find homes for them. Some of them stay with me forever.”
“This is not my job or the main focus of my life. I am a small business owner.”
“I own and manage my company, which is a consultancy for the international marketing of healthcare services.”
“But during the times I am not working, I devote my time to helping these homeless animals.”
“I have 46 disabled seagulls, 1 blind horse, 3 geese (they have a long story), 3 cats, and just today, I adopted a baby donkey.”
It’s the same kind of heartwarming rescue bond as the starving elderly horse that finally stood again with a new friend.
Hey, donkey
Even lambs found their way to this farm
Welcome
Hey, doggo
Selfie time
It is obvious that the animals are happy
Hey, big boy
Taking a walk
Just taking a rest
Best friends
Derpy horse
Take a break from work! Play with us
“My daily life on the farm: I wake up early. I walk my dogs to the forest. I have a truck, and I drive them to some quiet areas in the forest near my village where they can run and play. Then we come back home. I feed and care for my horse and play music for her. She loves it when I play for her with my saxophone. After that, I feed my seagull friends and the cats. I finish with the geese; they get to eat last.”
Rooster is there to protect the farm
Baby goat is there to be adorable
Say cheese
I love you, man
Looks like a fluffy toy
Akkök clearly can’t take care of so many animals alone. He has full-time workers on the farm and pays for them himself.
He doesn’t receive any donations or help from volunteers. But he is not complaining.
These animals are like his children now, and he wants them placed only with people who will care for them properly.
Love and chaos clash again in the woman who kicked her boyfriend out after 23 rescues.
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