Turkish entrepreneur turns home into shelter for animals

Mert Akkok takes in injured or sick animals in his Istanbul farmhouse

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  Mert Akkok carries a straw bale for his blind horse and donkey at his farmhouse near Istanbul. Mr Akkok lives with 18 dogs, three cats, a blind horse, a donkey and 46 seagulls at his animal shelter. EPA

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  Mr Akkok with his blind horse and a crippled seagull at his farmhouse. The 48-year-old entrepreneur takes in injured or sick animals in his garden. EPA

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  Mr Akkok took in only dogs initially, but then the number of animals he helped began to increase steadily. EPA

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  Mr Akkok's growing venture meant he moved from his apartment in downtown Istanbul to a farmhouse in a village near the city. EPA

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  Mr Akkok checks on crippled seagulls at his farmhouse. EPA

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  Mert Akkok feeds abandoned dogs in the countryside of the city during the dog feeding event he organized with a call to his followers on his Instagram account in Istanbul, Turkey, 06 February 2022 (issued 17 May 2022). Mert Akkok lives with 18 dogs, three cats, a blind horse, a donkey and 46 seagulls. The 48-year-old entrepreneur takes in injured or sick animals in his garden in Istanbul. At first it was just the dogs, Mert said, "but now I don't know the actual numbers of them. " Sometimes he brought an injured or sick stray dog home when he lived in an apartment in downtown Istanbul. After a while, as the number of animals increased and he moved to a farm house in a village close to the city. EPA / ERDEM SAHIN

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  Mr Akkok entertains his canine friends by playing the saxophone. EPA

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  The kind-hearted entrepreneur says the animals he takes in are like his children. EPA

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