Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/boji-the-dog/
A stray dog in Istanbul has gained himself quite a social media following after learning to use the Metro to get across town.
The pup, named Boji, is known and loved by locals, many of whom ride side-by-side with him on the trains.
According to the DailySabah, people began reporting Boji riding on public transportation, so authorities put a tracker on him.
As it turns out, the dog regularly travels through 29 metro stations, riding up to 20 miles per day!
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While the dog doesn’t have a normal owner and is considered a stray, he’s looked after by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. DailySabah reports that they take the dog for checkups and ensure he’s properly fed and cared for.
As the Irish Times reports, Turkey has a “no kill, no capture” law for stray dogs. Istanbul has an estimated 100,000 stray dogs and rather than putting them in shelters and killing them, the government has programs to trap, vaccinate, neuter or spay, and release the dogs back where they were found.
Many strays live and sleep in city parks, building corners, parking lots, and happily live alongside humans. Some end up wandering around the city, like Boji, looking for new friends and experiences.
Kadıköy Tramvayı denetimi başarıyla geçmiştir.👏🐾 @ietttr pic.twitter.com/fGgnGmxWy9
— Boji (@boji_ist) October 1, 2021
Benim yüzünden birbirinizi üzmeyin lütfen, ben hepinizi seviyorum, hepinizi anlıyorum. Yıllardır toplu taşıma kullanıyorum, kimseye bir zararım olmadı ama şimdi tanıyan çok olunca oyunlarımı anlamayanlar oluyor. Her canlı gibi benim de bir dünyam var, İstanbul da hepimizin evi. pic.twitter.com/YqfiknQ534
— Boji (@boji_ist) October 7, 2021
The metropolitan workers gave the dog the name “Boji,” after watching him ride the Metro a few times, according to the New York Post. Boji often enjoys lounging in the middle of a subway carriage, called “boji” in Turkish.
Boji is well-mannered and loves people. He became such a fan-favorite that he got his own social media accounts at the end of September!
Pazar sabahları ben de zor kalkıyorum ama denetim şart.🐾
🚇 M3 Kirazlı-Başakşehir/Metrokent Metro Hattı pic.twitter.com/QtQ52M5pEj
— Boji (@boji_ist) October 3, 2021
Even though his social media just started, he already has over 70,000 followers.
You can keep up with Boji and his adventures on Twitter and Instagram.
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
