ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AFP) — Turkmenistan's authoritarian ruler has recognized a national dog breed with a state holiday, government media reported Friday, elevating the canine to the same status as ...

The statue of the Alabai, the Central Asian shepherd dog is seen in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor ...

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presents a Turkmen shepherd dog to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on October 11, 2017.

FILE – A man dressed in a national costume runs with his Alabay shepherd dog during Dog Day celebration in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 25, 2021. The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is now ...

Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor the local dog breed.