Turkmenistan's Pet-Hating President Sends Dog Owner To Prison

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has long despised stray animals roaming the streets of Ashbagat.

But the president's hatred of animals reached a new high this month when a man accidentally walked his dog into an area restricted to members of the president's motorcade, according to The New Zealand Herald.

Surrounded by police and thrown to the ground, the man was taken to a local police station and given a choice between two weeks behind bars or having his dog shot.

Unwilling to part with his beloved pet, the man chose the prison sentence and, according to the Atlantic, used the one telephone call he was given to ask relatives to come pick up the dog.

Berdymukhamedov became president of Turkmenistan when his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, died from a heart condition in 2006.

Since then, the president's distaste for animals has been well documented. In one instance recorded in U.S. Embassy cables obtained by WikiLeaks, Berdymukhamedov's bizarre disgust with four-legged creatures led to a security official being fired after the president thought a cat had tried to assassinate him.

Comments

[Turkmenka]

06:24 PM on 01/30/2012

1. I am from Turkmenistan, born and raised, and would not find it implausible for this to have actually happened. This country went to hell after the fall of Soviet Union and the new government has consistently violated human and animal rights. As far as the order to shoot all stray dogs, that is questionable since Turkmen are nomads and some still live as such, thus their dogs may be roaming free. Not to mention that Turkmen people pride themselves on three things: their women, their rugs and their dogs - Alabai (or Central Asian Shepherd, beautiful, HUGE, bear like dogs). Then again the current president’s predecessor, Niyazov, in his delusions of grandeur wrote his own holy scripture praising himself and made it mandatory for school children to say a prayer that he made up to himself.
2.
On the other hand, I wonder if this is some sort of a story about a man violating some ridiculous law (that of course only protects the wonderful leader) that is blown out of proportion as some sites feature pictures of Berdymuhamedov and Ahmadenijad together.

If anyone finds out anything more concrete, please let us know!

[hot lava]

01:25 AM on 12/06/2011

I find, in my dogs, the qualities we used to attribute to humans: love, concern, support, warmth, and companionship. (Let's throw in protector and jester, too.) They are, Man's Best Friend. However, according to the HSUS, over 25 million animals are used for animal experimentation each year (not counting mice and rats). And, many millions more go unreported. So, perhaps we aren't in a position to criticize.

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/biomedical_research/qa/questions_answers.html

[prfktstrngr527]

05:49 PM on 12/05/2011

A country in need of mental health services.

[DanielSC]

02:52 PM on 12/05/2011

Sounds like he'd fit right in with our GOP presidential candidates...

[troyrobertdavid]

11:31 AM on 12/05/2011

Two weeks in jail or we kill your dog. What a pathetic excuse for a President. Anyone who has someone fired because they thought that a cat was trying to kill them is severely disturbed. I feel very sorry for the people of that country.

[Prankster]

10:44 AM on 12/05/2011

Was it a ninja cat?

[spgomarino]

11:14 PM on 12/04/2011

what a shame the cat failed.

[reasonshouldrule]

09:35 PM on 12/04/2011

I sense some very grim karma coming his way.

[dpc2224]

06:31 PM on 12/04/2011

I'm not a fan of stray dogs either,.or dogs who poop on my lawn or bark into the night. Pet ownership requires responsible ownership and I'm for fines for those who allow dogs to run. I'm not against a person having a pet, but some dog lovers (and their communities) are giving priority to dogs over people.Pets should never be allowed in stores where I've seen them pee one floors (and on things you buy?) . Laws are rarely enforced . As a result, kids often are bitten by certain breeds that ought to be outlawed.

[schnauzergirl]

11:07 AM on 12/05/2011

The behavior of a dog really has very little to do with its breed. The issue is the kind of people who get certain types of breeds because they "look tough" and then encourage those animals to "act tough" because somehow it makes the owners "cool" or "bad" in the slang sense. Outside of the very small numbers of dogs (across all breeds) that have actual mental issues , just like a certain number of humans, bad dogs come from bad, or ignorant owners.

I can terll you as a long time veterinary care worker, you have a lot more to fear (harm wise) from the ultra-pampered toy breeds (we often call them lap sharks or pocket pirrahas) than from any of the "dangerous breeds" in a home with a responsible owner.

I have had more blood drawn by freshly clipped toenails than teeth and much more damage from cats than any dog.

[Lisica]

09:21 AM on 12/06/2011

As someone who volunteers at an animal shelter and used to work in a veterinary hospital, schnauzergirl's comments are accurate.

[dpc2224]

07:06 PM on 12/06/2011

Are you saying Pit Bulls,Poodles,and Rotweilers are as gentle as Labs? Somehow that doesn't jive with newspaper reports or my own observation. I agree that the owner can turn an aggressive dog into a dangerous pet, but surely some breeds have earned their bad reputations !

[camanokat]

05:05 PM on 12/04/2011

I don't trust people who dislike dogs.

[dpc2224]

07:06 PM on 12/04/2011

My brother moved from his last apartment after the management decided to allow dogs. PEOPLE allowed their dogs to create messes, bark, etc. The courtyards were piled with dog poop when previously they had been beautiful open areas. ( Rats love to eat dog poop). It's often not the dog but the airhead owner that creates problems.

[Lisica]

09:22 AM on 12/06/2011

Neither do I.

[Cooper21]

11:29 AM on 12/04/2011

Sucks to be ruled by the Burger-Meister, Meister-Burger....what's next, a ban on toys?

[Sheldon archer]

08:08 AM on 12/04/2011

The guy has principles and I admire him, not giving in to Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and HIS animals.

[mm8]

05:25 PM on 12/03/2011

On a more positive note, women are allowed to drive in this Muslim nation.

[Lisica]

09:31 AM on 12/06/2011

Well, that's not saying much; women are allowed to drive in all Muslim countries except Saudi Arabia.

[mm8]

11:43 AM on 12/06/2011

I know it's not saying much. That's why my comment was a marriage of facetious plus sarcastic having a threesome with irony.

[GinouSunbae]

03:26 PM on 12/03/2011

that's just sad ..

[piul05]

02:48 PM on 12/03/2011

He would really have a problem or two if he messed with my dogs and cat...

[Bellanova]

06:25 PM on 12/04/2011

You tell'em, Piul!

[piul05]

06:36 PM on 12/04/2011

Hi there, friend! :-))