from radio bulgaria

Four Paws project in Veliko Turnovo takes care of stray dogs


For many years municipality-owned companies across Bulgaria have been trying to address the issue of stray dogs. The World Health Organization recommended the ‘castrate and return’ principle, meaning that stray dogs are first caught, castrated, vaccinated and then returned to the same places, where they had been hunted. Bulgaria’s neighbours Greece and Turkey have applied exactly this method. In Greece, in particular, after the dogs have been castrated and returned, environmentalist organizations and the municipalities assume the care of their regular vaccination and anti-parasitic treatment. In Serbia a year ago a law was adopted to that effect. In the south of Italy the dogs are gathered in special establishments, but are not castrated, and the municipalities pay for their care.
In Bulgaria the number of stray dogs has grown to alarming proportions. That is why environmentalists and international organizations launched a process of castrating, vaccinating and returning of the strays in an attempt to curb their reproduction.

Thus, 321 stray dogs have been castrated in the city of Veliko Tarnovo under a project run by the Four Paws Fund of famous animal protection activist Brigitte Bardot. Says vet Marina Ivanova, participant in the project:
“This project has been very successful, indeed. It was also the first one in Bulgaria implemented after the adoption of the new Animal Protection Act. We managed to treat more than 60% of the dogs in our municipality of Veliko Turnovo, and placed the red marks of the Four Paws Fund on the dogs’ ears. According to WHO, the absolute success requires a coverage of 70%, that is why a local team trained by us continues to work on site. We wish to urge pet owners to castrate their pets before they reproduce and the people throw the puppies in the street.”

Inevitably the experts had to deal with a great deal of prejudice when they first began work on the project. “People were simply not convinced that it was the best way for them and the animals,” vet Marina Ivanova says. However, with time many volunteers joined in and the number of helping people increased.
“We received the largest support from the Animal Rights Bulgaria’s local organization that still continues working on site together with the municipality team,” Dr. Ivanova goes on to say. “We had mock pet owners who came to us and tired to lie to us that we had their dog because they did not want the animals to be castrated. But when we asked them to produce some certificates, they could not because those were simply strays. Unfortunately, when a dog bites somebody, suddenly no one comes to claim ownership.”
The principal idea is to reduce the stray dogs’ population by way of castration. “Generally speaking, stray dogs live less than pets,” Dr. Ivanova says. On the one hand they have nobody to look after them, and on the other hand, they are exposed to the hazards of the urban setting. Besides they have the territory guarding instinct that prevents other dogs from entering their territory, and usually the newcomers are non-castrated animals. The castration project includes also a rabies vaccination and anti-parasitic treatment.
“The anti-parasitic treatment and the rhabies shots have to be administered on a regular basis,” Dr. Ivanova explains. “According to the new Animal protection Act, each municipality is bound to accept a programme for managing the street dogs’ population. The law requires that someone care after the animals after they are castrated and released, whether the local environmentalists, or the municipalities themselves,” vet Marina Ivanova says in conclusion.

Written by Darina Grigorova
English version by Radostin Zhelev