Systematic abuse of pet and stray animals in Bulgaria
Emil Kuzmanov - 20.11.2006 17:08
Recent letter to Supreme Prosecutor of Bulgaria concerning inadequate behaviour of Minister Nihat Kabil, Mayor Boyko Borissov and German SPCA
Emil Kuzmanov
18 Yanko Sofiiski Voivoda Str.
1164 Sofia
Bulgaria
To:
Mr Boris Veltchev
Supreme Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia, Oktober 23 2006
Concerning: Institutions and organizations with inadequate behaiviour concerning the reproduction and movenent of the pet animals
I. Ministry of the Agriculture and Forestry
According to the Veterinary Act, the National Veterinary Service/NVS is directly subordinated to the Minister of the Agriculture and Foresry. On 17 February 2006 in the "Particular case" program on the National TV, Ass. Prof. Dr Paskal Zheliazkov, Deputy Director of NVS said that his institution has no financial and human ressources for the implication of the strict registration of the dogs in Bulgaria and control over reproduction, aqusition and trade of the cats and dogs. On 11 October in the "12+3" program on the National Radio Dr Zheliazkov said, that recently 260 employees of the NVS were sacked according to the Minister's Nihat Kabil order. Dr Zheliazkov explained, that in every regional VMS, there is one appointed inspector, who controls farm animals, veterinary-medical mediacations et.c. Despite of the obvious crisis with the both cat and dog populations, despite my numerous participations in the media since 2002, despite of my two letters (2003 and 2004) to Minister Mehmed Dikme, the implication of the Law in this area have been constantly ignored by the Ministers of the Agriculture and Forestry for years.
II. Municipality of Sofia and Tierhilfe Sueden
(1) Municipality of Sofia
Since 1998 the yearly budget of the Municipality for animal sheltering has been about 500 000 leva. Untill 2006 there were three municipal shelters - "Lozenetc", "Vrazhdebna" and "Miroviane". The Municipality
uses only the first one, the second one is given to the National Foundation for the Protection of Animals, and the third one to "Vigomi", an enterprise trading with furs. In 2006 a new municipal shelter was
built, to the distant suburb of Seslavtci. The shelter in Lozenetc was given to a so-called Bulgarian-German Society for the Protection of Animals. Despite of the existing resources the both Mayors Mr Stefan Sofianski and Mr Boyko Borissov do not accept adequate policy for providing of public service for re-homing of lost and unwanted
dogs. Even more, in August 2004 BTV showed an arrticle about 13 army dogs, given to the Municipal shelter for re-homing, which disappeared on the next day.
(2) Tierhilfe Sueden
Few years ago in the "Sincerely and Personally" program on the BTV, a representative of Tierhilfe Sueden didn't deny the fact that about 500,000 lv have been transfered from Germany to Sofia for sterilization of stray dogs every year. I must pinpoint that the progress of the German nation in this area is due to the strict control over registration and licensing of the possesion, breeding and trade of pets. In Europe and worldwide there is established and effective practice of "low-cost and early-aged sterilization" for the restriction of population reproduction. Therefore the policy of "endless castration", financed by Tierhilfe Sueden, can't be justifyed as charitable.
The problem with the mass amateur breeding and leaving of unregistered dogs has been constantly neglected by the both Mayors Mr Stefan Sofiianski and Mr Boyko Borissov, and by the representatives of Tierhilfe Sueden. For 17 years in the streets of Sofia the so called "street population" has been constantly re-filled by grown up and growing tame, domestic dogs of unknown origin. Usually they are cross- bred and that fact is used by the mayors and the reperesentatives of Tierhilfe Sueden for keeping the public delusion that the stray dogs are separate population, reproducing in the streets. The official control of this population is inadequate and conflicting with interest of the animals and the society. Meanwhile the loudly proclaimed initiatives connected with the "street population" have successfully hidden the process of the mass ameteur breeding, trading and disappearing of great number of pure-blooded dogs in Sofia.
Yours sincerely,
Emil Kuzmanov
 E-Mail: animalprograms@abv.bg  Website: http://animalprograms.org
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