What threat do homeless animals pose, and who is responsible for the problem that has arisen?

Danislava Georgieva, First English Language School Sofia, 11th grade 

In many countries around the world, there are homeless animals, and this is clear to everyone. In most places, stray dogs and cats are seen as a pest. Unfortunately, many people still believe that mass culling is the best solution to the problem – every year, dogs and cats are poisoned, beaten to death, suffocated, or even more horrifyingly, burned or buried alive. Countries like the USA and Canada, as well as parts of Western Europe, operate on this principle of euthanasia, arguing that “it is better for unwanted dogs to undergo painless euthanasia than to suffer from starvation, disease, or trauma.” The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) directly states that when the quality of life of a dog is compromised, it is in its best interest to be put to sleep.

Let’s take a look at what the situation is like in Bulgaria.

In Bulgaria, efforts are being made to implement the most effective system for managing the population of stray dogs – catch, neuter, and return. 

In Bulgaria, as well as around the world, there are many organisations dedicated to helping animals and advocating for their protection. One example is the “Four Paws” foundation. According to the foundation’s webpage, “Four Paws fights for a world where people treat animals with respect, understanding, and compassion”. Their areas of activity include combating violence against animals, providing assistance to homeless animals, pets, wildlife, and farm animals, while also offering advice on care and assistance during emergencies.

The Four Paws team shares on their website that no animal becomes homeless by choice. In recent years, authorities in an increasing number of countries have realised that mass culling of animals is far from being a good solution to the problem. They say they work diligently towards reducing the number of homeless animals in various countries through planned neutering and medical care. Their teams are dedicated to implementing a sustainable and humane solution to decrease the population of stray dogs and cats.

A similar organisation is “Spasi Me” (Save Me), whose website is created to help homeless animals across the country, as well as those in need, find assistance and a better chance in life. The idea behind spasime.org is the work of a team of young people who love animals and are driven by a sense of compassion for those among them who are homeless or in distress. Their goal is very similar – it is to provide an opportunity for anyone willing to help in any way they can through the website. 

Let’s take a look at the aggressiveness of the stray dogs.

These dogs, being sick, hungry, or stressed, often become aggressive and attack children and adults.

sCOOL Media decided to conduct a survey among students from various schools in Sofia by asking them if they have ever been in a situation where they were afraid of homeless animals. Over 70% voted that they have felt uncomfortable passing by stray dogs, with some even sharing that they have altered their route to avoid attracting the attention of the dogs.

We’ve heard quite a few similar stories in the news: “On April 9th of this year, a Rottweiler attacked and mauled 6-year-old Maxim in the yard of the 121st School in the ‘Gotse Delchev’ district of Sofia.” “In 2016, a man and a woman were viciously bitten by a raging pit bull in Kazanlak,” and so on.

In most cases, however, the dogs are not stray. This shows that at fault are the owners of the dogs.

In Bulgaria, there are no banned breeds. And after each incident, opponents of the ban on breeding and owning aggressive dog breeds are found. They argue that it would be inappropriate to ban specific breeds. They claim that it is not the fault of the dog, regardless of its breed, but rather a matter of control of the owner and control by the state and the municipality.

What does the municipality do about the issue? We did some research and found an article on the Bulgarian National Radio with Yavor Gechev from the International Animal Protection Organization “Four Paws” and the former mayor of Sofia – Yordanka Fandakova. 

Yavor Gechev  says: “We agreed with Mrs. Fandakova’s idea to establish a crisis headquarters, which will meet once a week and will be personally led by her. In addition to the state institutions, major non-governmental organisations working on controlling the population of stray dogs will participate. There, problematic issues will be directly addressed, and specific measures and decisions will be taken. In this way, as an NGO, we will also monitor what the municipality is doing. Participation in this crisis headquarters gives us the opportunity to demand equal enforcement of the Animal Protection Act everywhere, in order to have control over pet owners and the trade and breeding of dogs. It is the lack of control and the complete anarchy prevailing in this business that is the reason for the increase in the number of stray animals.”