Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A famous street dog that made international headlines for travelling 20 miles a day on public transport in Istanbul that then became the victim of “cancel culture” when it was framed in a “poogate” political row has been adopted by a billionaire benefactor.
A pro-Erdogan lobby group is suspected of being behind the attempted character assassination of the dog after a man was filmed placing poop on a tram to discredit the hound in viral footage viewed over 14.5 million times.
Boji, the adorable stray dog in Istanbul, had been targeted to embarrass the local politicians after making international headlines in October after it emerged that it travelled up to 20 miles every day on the public transport system in Turkey’s largest city and was much beloved by locals.
The dog was accused of soiling a tram after the faeces were found on a seat, leading to social media reportedly being flooded with messages criticising the previously popular stray.
Some netizens reportedly wrote, “You spoiled him too much” and “Enough with Boji”.
The official Facebook account for the stray, however, had rejected the allegations, posting messages from the dog’s point of view, saying: “I was at home all day and did not go out. You stained the tram, and you blamed me. You are evil.”
The footage was also produced to show the dog at the holdout shelter on the day in question, and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality also shared a video that proved the faeces had been left there by a man to blame the dog.
The man’s identity currently remains unknown with heated debate continuing between government supporters and the opposition in Istanbul, with local media outlet Duvar English saying that the issue has turned into a political row between the supporters of the government and the opposition, with pro-AKP figures accused of circulating that the dog had pooped on public transportation to slam the CHP-led Istanbul Municipality.
But in the meantime, Turkish billionaire businessman Mehmet Omer Koc, 59, has announced that he will adopt the dog. He is the chairman of the Koc Holding, which makes up 10 percent of Turkish GDP, and is the only Turkish company on the Fortune 500 list.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu revealed news of the adoption, saying: “Boji now has a home where he can walk around easily and run freely. Thanks to Omer Koc, a businessman who adopted Istanbul’s world-famous dog Boji. Boji will have a safe environment where he is safe from people who want to hurt him.”
It is unclear if the dog would still be allowed to roam the city and travel on public transport.
