From Turkey to Traverse City, One Dog’s Incredible Journey

Anatolian Shepherd finally finds her home

 

Nobody much noticed the young beige dog with the mutilated ears and the bloody tail wandering through the streets of Ankara, Turkey. It’s not unusual to see street dogs in this ancient city slinking past outdoor bazaars or sneaking up to kabob shops, trying to steal a skewer of roast lamb before being struck with a broom or kicked away.

But for Cody, a two-year-old Anatolian shepherd, life changed dramatically when a veterinarian noted she was near death and took her to her clinic.

“In Turkey, it is not unusual for Kangals—the Turkish name for Anatolian Shepherds—to have their ears and tails docked by shepherds,” said Amy Hume, an American living in Ankara. “But her ears and chopped tail were so badly mutilated that she was likely abandoned by a shepherd. Kangals are also used by dogfighters here, so it’s also possible she escaped from them.”

But underneath the matted dirty fur and large bony frame was an Anatolian Shepherd—a breed of dog so rare they are considered an endangered species in Turkey.

The shepherds were first brought to the U.S. in the 1930s by the USDA as part of a research project seeking herding dogs to help farmers. The breed has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, being used to protect livestock in the U.S. Anatolian Shepherds are also used in Africa in a unique cheetah conservation project, where their deep, throaty bark keeps the big cats away from cattle, thus saving the big cats from being shot by ranchers.

As Cody healed, her coat became a beautiful and lush creamy beige, and her limbs grew strong and powerful. Hume, a client of the vet in Turkey, offered to send Cody to a friend in upstate New York where she thought the dog might find a home in the green and rolling hills.

Cody’s luck continued as she made it out of Turkey just days before the CDC imposed a ban on foreign dogs entering the U.S. Cody did indeed find a home…only to lose it when her new owner moved to Hawaii.

Her story became murky after that. Somehow, she made it to northern Michigan and ended up in Grawn, living on a chain. But again, fate intervened when a kind neighbor took pity on Cody and offered to take her. She lived with him until he fell seriously ill this spring.

Cody was then brought to the Great Lakes Humane Society shelter, where patiently waited for a home. She became a favorite at the shelter and slowly, cautiously learned how to make new friends, both canine and human. One of her proudest moments was when she walked aside volunteer Tom Wilcox in the Northport Dog Parade in August.

“I had no idea what an Anatolian Shepherd was before I met Cody,” said Wilcox. “Then I saw pictures of these beautiful animals from Turkey with floppy ears and big fluffy tails. Cody’s ears and tails weren’t as pretty because they had been cut. She didn’t recognize our language or how to walk. Now she knows the ‘sit’ command and has never met a toy that she doesn’t like.”

Wilcox adds, “We try not to have favorite here at GLHS, but Cody has really tugged at all of our heartstrings.”

After months of quietly waiting, Cody’s journey got a happy ending when Lucas Hallburg, an electrician from Mancelona, walked into the Great Lakes shelter one rainy October afternoon and walked out with Cody on the end of a leash. “I knew she was the dog for me,” says Hallburg.

Hallsburg’s home, with acres and acres of ponds, woods and open lands, is a far cry from Ankara’s blaring streets. And it seems that Cody, who now spends her days cavorting in fields and her evenings on a soft sofa, surrounded by love, is good with that.

To learn more about Great Lakes Humane Society and see adoptable pets, head to greatlakeshs.com.

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