Bulgaria - a stray animal farm
by Emil Kuzmanov
(Translated article first published in Dnevnik daily 18 December 2007)
On November 22, 2007 in the Chancellery of the Bulgarian Parliament was exposed Report from the name of the Agriculture Committee, dedicated to the forthcoming vote of an Animal Protection Act. About the preparing of this document was not organized a regulary session of the Committee.
On November 22, five days after the introducing of the Report, in Nedyalsko village at a dog attack died a Brittish woman. The accident was informed by the UK media. The internal problem about the dog control quicly became an international discussion theme.
However, the real and fundamental problem in that area stays the massive reproduction of the owned dogs, which are the basic population there. So for example, in many private yards are living unrestricted bitches. Just for several years each of them can create an offspring of dozens of mongrel pups. As a sequel of these circumstances outside always there is an overpopulation of thousands of strays with unknown origin, including sterilized and not. Most of them are not living outside for a long time period, and they are dissappearing; at the same time new and new dogs are constantly appearing. And so, that population shift made Sofia and the whole country in something like a farm for unwanted animals.
One of the most important reasons for the massive accidental reproduction is the existence of only several count number of sterilized animals in Bulgaria. At the same time in the far small villages there is not veterinary surgeons. So hundred thousands dog owners in the whole country cannot stelirize their animals.
At that critical situation the Report as a whole supports a Bill which is not intended to provide any adequate solution in that area. More than a year representatives of official institutions and NGOs are being assuring the European community, that they are preparing the approvement of a new Animal Protection Act, in which will be included enough effective measures, obligations and terms, and so it will guarantee the humane dog and cat population control.
In fact, the Animal Protection Bill does not foresee the organizing of a quick and low-cost (free) sterilization of the owned dogs, i.e. increase of the the population sterilized ratio. The launching of that program is an old engagement of Bulgaria in accordance with Art. 12 of the European Council's Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, ratified by the country in 2004.
Instead of this, the Bill provides only funding a massive Catch-Neuter-Release activity promoted by the Municipalities. And the stray cat overpopulation also become object of the same provision. Furthermore, in unaccordance with Art. 12 of the Convention, the Bill foresees an suspension of reducing population number by euthanasia. So the question about the humane treatment of hundreds of thousands of neglected dogs and cats can be in position of staying in unorder state by any law. And these animals will always be exposed to risk of being victums to the criminal industry.
(* In the Report there are proposals of the MPs, aimed to the combinning in the Act of adequate measures for control, obligations and terms. The most of the proposals are made by Borislav Kitov, Chairman of the Health Care Committee, also by Borislav Noev, Member of the Agriculture Committee. In the name of the Committee has being declared disagreement with the noted below proposals:
Foreseeing a regime of legal breeding and trade of dogs and cats by amateurs; higher level of the taxes over the ownership of unsterilized dogs.
Foreseeing a regime of legal catching and transportation of stray animals; a process of obligating the Mayors for immediately sheltering of newly appearing dogs.
Applying of obligations to the National Veterinary Service about control over the pet ownership, pet breeding and pet trade; over the protection of the sheltered and neighbourhood animals.
Higher level of fine in the cases, when an veterinarian brokes his obligations connected with the registration regime; the foresee fine in the Project is 12 ways lower than the fines for another violations.
The Commission even makes a proposal of discarding of Art. 45 providing a regime of public access to the Register.)
The political class is demonstrating a constantly disagreeement to change the already established system in that area. Ago, people was provoced to talk mainly about the killing of strays. At the present, it is being debated about their sterilization. But we can see the team effort, that "the farm scheme in Sofia" to be legalized and exploated in the whole country. That would be a benefit only to the criminal interests, which are taken that public sector.
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by Emil Kuzmanov
(Translated article first published in Dnevnik daily 18 December 2007)
On November 22, 2007 in the Chancellery of the Bulgarian Parliament was exposed Report from the name of the Agriculture Committee, dedicated to the forthcoming vote of an Animal Protection Act. About the preparing of this document was not organized a regulary session of the Committee.
On November 22, five days after the introducing of the Report, in Nedyalsko village at a dog attack died a Brittish woman. The accident was informed by the UK media. The internal problem about the dog control quicly became an international discussion theme.
However, the real and fundamental problem in that area stays the massive reproduction of the owned dogs, which are the basic population there. So for example, in many private yards are living unrestricted bitches. Just for several years each of them can create an offspring of dozens of mongrel pups. As a sequel of these circumstances outside always there is an overpopulation of thousands of strays with unknown origin, including sterilized and not. Most of them are not living outside for a long time period, and they are dissappearing; at the same time new and new dogs are constantly appearing. And so, that population shift made Sofia and the whole country in something like a farm for unwanted animals.
One of the most important reasons for the massive accidental reproduction is the existence of only several count number of sterilized animals in Bulgaria. At the same time in the far small villages there is not veterinary surgeons. So hundred thousands dog owners in the whole country cannot stelirize their animals.
At that critical situation the Report as a whole supports a Bill which is not intended to provide any adequate solution in that area. More than a year representatives of official institutions and NGOs are being assuring the European community, that they are preparing the approvement of a new Animal Protection Act, in which will be included enough effective measures, obligations and terms, and so it will guarantee the humane dog and cat population control.
In fact, the Animal Protection Bill does not foresee the organizing of a quick and low-cost (free) sterilization of the owned dogs, i.e. increase of the the population sterilized ratio. The launching of that program is an old engagement of Bulgaria in accordance with Art. 12 of the European Council's Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, ratified by the country in 2004.
Instead of this, the Bill provides only funding a massive Catch-Neuter-Release activity promoted by the Municipalities. And the stray cat overpopulation also become object of the same provision. Furthermore, in unaccordance with Art. 12 of the Convention, the Bill foresees an suspension of reducing population number by euthanasia. So the question about the humane treatment of hundreds of thousands of neglected dogs and cats can be in position of staying in unorder state by any law. And these animals will always be exposed to risk of being victums to the criminal industry.
(* In the Report there are proposals of the MPs, aimed to the combinning in the Act of adequate measures for control, obligations and terms. The most of the proposals are made by Borislav Kitov, Chairman of the Health Care Committee, also by Borislav Noev, Member of the Agriculture Committee. In the name of the Committee has being declared disagreement with the noted below proposals:
Foreseeing a regime of legal breeding and trade of dogs and cats by amateurs; higher level of the taxes over the ownership of unsterilized dogs.
Foreseeing a regime of legal catching and transportation of stray animals; a process of obligating the Mayors for immediately sheltering of newly appearing dogs.
Applying of obligations to the National Veterinary Service about control over the pet ownership, pet breeding and pet trade; over the protection of the sheltered and neighbourhood animals.
Higher level of fine in the cases, when an veterinarian brokes his obligations connected with the registration regime; the foresee fine in the Project is 12 ways lower than the fines for another violations.
The Commission even makes a proposal of discarding of Art. 45 providing a regime of public access to the Register.)
The political class is demonstrating a constantly disagreeement to change the already established system in that area. Ago, people was provoced to talk mainly about the killing of strays. At the present, it is being debated about their sterilization. But we can see the team effort, that "the farm scheme in Sofia" to be legalized and exploated in the whole country. That would be a benefit only to the criminal interests, which are taken that public sector.
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