Shelters across Turkey are hosting adoption drives Saturday to mark World Animal Day, the international day of action for animal rights and welfare.

In Istanbul, Kurtaran Ev, a not for profit, privately run shelter, welcomed hundreds of visitors to their facility on the outskirts of Istanbul.

From senior to disabled and wounded, to purebreds to puppies, dogs waiting for their forever homes barked, wiggled and wagged their tails for some love and attention.

The drives come as Turkey presses forward with a controversial law that allows authorities to round up strays in the name of public safety.

The law requires municipalities to round up stray dogs and relocate them into shelters where they would be vaccinated, neutered and spayed before making them available for adoption.

Dogs that are in pain, terminally ill or pose a health risk to humans would be euthanized.

Animal-lovers had strongly opposed the law, fearing it would lead to widespread culling or dogs ending up in disease-ridden and overcrowded shelters.

They raised concerns about how financially-strained municipalities would secure funding to construct the additional shelters.

They fear that, instead of allocating resources to care for the stray dogs, some municipalities may resort to euthanizing them under the pretext of illness.

Since the law went into effect last year, communities have been scrambling to save as many lives as possible.

Official estimates say around four million stray dogs roam, or used to roam, Turkey’s streets and rural areas.

While many of the dogs are harmless, the government moved to tighten existing legislation on stray animals following incidents of dog attacks, including cases involving children.

AP video by Cavit Ozgul and Ayse Wieting

AP production by Ayse Wieting