Humans’ relationship with other species is becoming increasingly destructive, especially for those imprisoned, exploited, or pushed to the margins of human life. From industrial meat production to laboratory testing, this relationship has long been framed within debates on animal rights and welfare. Yet behind these discussions lies a deeper and more unsettling reality: the countless lives shaped, diminished, or extinguished by human control.

At Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Animal Hospital, where animals of every kind are treated, the complexity of this relationship comes into sharp focus. In the eyes of the animals brought here—whether stray dogs injured on the streets, birds entangled in wires, or livestock harmed in human care—one can glimpse the many layers of dependency, neglect, and fragile coexistence that define our bond with other species.

This work seeks to hold onto those moments, to pause at the threshold where life and suffering meet, and to reflect on the unequal ties between humans and animals. The hospital becomes not only a place of treatment but also a mirror, revealing the consequences of choices made far beyond its walls.