Stop the dog slaughter in Bulgaria!

  • by: Nicola Stoev
  • recipient: The mayor of Sofia Municipality, The Minister of the Agriculture and Foods, The Chief Prosecutor

Bulgarian government allows the exploitation of extermination camps for stray dogs rearing under open sky. Thus it consciously violates art. 1, p. 4 and art. 8, p. 3”b” of the European Convention for Pet Animals Protection, ratified by Bulgaria, which requires for every sanctuary its animals to be boarded in buildings with suitable premises and equipment. Under the Bulgarian circumstances, this violation means just a hidden slaughter over thousands of dogs. The best example for canine slaughter in the country is the practice of Sofia Municipality, running the largest extermination camp in Bulgaria under open sky for 2 000 dogs. For it, it is ascertained, that:

-              According to an investigation of the Sofia Prosecutors Office in 2013, Sofia Municipality rears more than 820 dogs outside of buildings in its shelter in Gorni Bogrov during all the seasons of the year. The mortality rate in this “shelter” was 20.5% for the first 8 months of the unit exploitation, which meant, that the maximum longevity of a dog in it was about 3 years. On the other hand, there is no canine longevity smaller than 8 – 10 years, if the animals are reared in a normal for them environment (some dogs could reach even ages of 17 – 18 years).

-              There is abundant visual data about the “shelter” environment, including with the ice and snow in the winter within and alongside the fenced sections for the animals keeping. Then often the drinking water is frozen in its vessels and the dogs cannot drink it. In the water are added disinfectant substances, just to prevent without any success its freezing, either. The latter is recognized officially by Mrs. Bojadjiska - deputy mayor in a written statement.

-              The dogs are in living in excrements on the concrete floors of the “shelter” sections, saturated with blood, sometimes mixed with pieces of the canine dry food, for which as it seems, nobody cares to clean timely.

-              The noise strength measuring check in the “shelter” made by the Bulgarian Executive Agency for Labour Inspections, drawn up in April, 2013, indicated a noise level of 82.2 dBa, while the healthy maximum of the parameter for dogs rearing is up to 65 dBa. At the time of the noise measuring, in the “shelter” still there were only 750 dogs, whereas a recent new check, carried out by two Bulgarian NGOs, accounted for available 860 animals and Sofia Municipality intends to increase the dogs number to more than 2 000 till July, 2014 with the announced in December, 2013 tender, aimed at the assignment of construction works for the “shelter” capacity enlargement.

-              According to a climatic report, concerning the Sofia region, prepared by the National Institute for Hydrology and Meteorology of the Bulgarian Academy of the Sciences, evidences that the annual temperature amplitudes in the town and its surroundings varied between 49.8 and 56.3 C in the period 2009 - 2012. The veterinary recommendable temperature norms for dogs rearing are between 15 C and 20 C. The acceptable international shelter practices are based on a standard of 15 – 27 C (10 - 21 C in Sweden). In the Sofia region, the temperature range of 15 – 20 C is achievable under open sky (i.e., outside of buildings) only in 4 – 5 months of the year. Besides, it is seen from the quoted report that in some summer days, the temperature maximums raise up to almost 40 C and it makes the dogs suffer greatly in their “shelter” shades under canopies and kennels, all situated under open sky, as these animals do not have sweat glands.

-              In the “shelter” is not practiced individual feeding neither is ensured individual access to drinking water for each animal (including in the summer heats). Due to the hierarchic relations within the canine groups, it means, that the weakest dogs starve and are doomed to dehydration in the fenced sections of the municipal “shelter” of Sofia.

-              The common kennels of thin plywood in this “shelter”, designed for numerous dogs are dangerous for the animals, because when biting their walls, the plywood injure them. It is also clearly seen from photo pictures, which we have, that the design of the kennels with their small entrance holes, positioned at floor level, does not allow the care givers at the “shelter” to control the animals’ behavior inside of the kennels (including to prevent pernicious fights between the dogs).

Please, close down all the “shelters” under open sky in Bulgaria and duly observe the European Convention for Pet Animals, ratified by your country.

Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.