Protecting Bulgaria's Street Animals

“The dogs in the isolator became cannibals” is the title of the leading material in the new issue of newspaper “Utro” from today, may 30 2007. The dogs in the municipality isolator have been put in such conditions that made them start eating each other, saw the team from the “24 hours” newspaper this afternoon. The animals have been given dry bread, and only the lucky ones had water as well. Behind the net the animals are forced to survive by eating one another. The view is shocking and surely is not for people who have weak nerves or hearts. “There is no such a thing; your newspaper is biased,” coolly denied the manager of the Municipality isolator Dr. Stefan Stanchev. He was explicit that it was a matter of manipulation, because the animals have received good care at the isolator. Anyway, the truth
is that the most defenseless animal in the cage had been killed by the rest, who have fought for survival.

This had happened because hunger awakens even the deeply stifled atavistic instincts in every living being.
The unbiased camera of the biased according to Dr. Stanchev newspaper took a shot of the thing that supposedly did not exist – wild cannibalism. And if the photographs could show smells as well, the readers would most positively attain full idea about the case.

“I myself am astonished how that could happen, since the last week I went on a check-up at the shelter and the animals were in a normal condition,” the vice-mayor Orlin Lazarov commented. He explained that he did not have any financial account about the work of the manager Dr. Stefan Stanchev, but municipality had been providing food and medications for the animal. “The gathered dogs are fed with
the wastes from the homes for old people, which lightens the budget,” Lazarov added. The intention of the municipality is to repair the roof of the building, to equip an operating and a manipulation room, as well as create additional kennels for the captured animals.

According to the contract for a public errand with Dr. Stanchev, the municipality is obliged to pay for an initial examination of a dog 5 leva, 6 leva for euthanasia, provide the medication euthanazine, transportation, staff and food for the animals. Why has cannibalism became a fact with these animals and exactly how much money is given for the dogs are questions that no one from the municipality or the isolator could not or wanted to answer.

Translated by: Greta Ivanova

Here is the article that Vikki - the representative of Animal Rights Bulgaria for the UK - has written:
Here in Bulgaria we have a number of problems involving animal welfare. One of our biggest is the increasing number of stray dogs. Unfortunately, government officials have not taken the correct approach to solve this problem and its presence will continue until they do so.
We have been made aware of the presence of a shelter based on the outskirts of Veliko Tarnovo. We do not have grounds to say what we wish to on this matter but we have been informed that a certain amount of money has been misplaced which the shelter receives.
An anonymous individual went undercover in order to expose the cruel circumstances in which stray dogs are under.
Two individuals in particular run this shelter. Person A* informed us that these individuals go out and kill stray dogs on sight with the use of a gun. At the shelter itself, they keep dogs there in order for it to remain inconspicuous. These dogs are living under the bare minimum. Their diet mainly consists of bread which can be purchased very cheaply here. At the weekends the dogs are left entirely alone without receiving any water or food. The building is very basic. It is surrounded by rubbish and animal bones. The corpses of dead dogs can also be seen in large rusted industrial bins outside. The images below have been taken by us and Person A*.

After visiting the Vice Mayor to discuss this issue, we were greeted by a lot of political mumble jumble and had barely any time to talk ourselves.
The Mayor and he have no excuses for the condition of this shelter.
We urge you to please write to both of them voicing your views on this matter.
We wish for them to improve the living conditions the dogs are under. Please mention any of the following if at all possible.

This includes:
• Making a clear effort to re-home dogs (Unfortunately they will resort to destroying a dog after 14 days or less. Please help us ensure the absolute minimum is 14 days. However, please suggest the no-kill policy used in the majority of westernized countries )
• Keeping a record of all dogs destroyed, all dogs re-homed and all dogs sterilized (We wish for them to make all records readily available for public inspection)
• The introduction of sterilization of stray dogs for a long-term solution(Vasectomy and Tubal Ligation)
• For our group (Animal Rights Bulgaria) to have access to the shelter for inspection
• Dogs should be cleaned daily
• Workers should be there at weekends
• Dogs should receive the necessary amount of food and water
• The dog pens should be secure and bigger (bricked sides instead of wire fencing)
• A bedded area for the dogs to rest in comfort
• All corpses, bones and rubbish to be disposed of in a sanitary way to prevent disease and infection to both humans and animals
(We currently do not have the Mayor’s personal contact details but you can contact him at the address below. Both are able to speak English. )

Veliko Turnovo Municipality

Stefan Botev
Vice Mayor
2 Maika Bulgaria Square
5000 Veliko Turnovo
Bulgaria

Tel: ++359 62 619 504
Fax: ++359 62 619 501
Mobile: ++359 899 870 400
Email: sbotev2004@yahoo.co.uk

Would you let your dog live in this condition?

Very few people in Dimitrovgrad know about the isolator - the municipality, the journalists that were present at the opening in 2005, the people that work at the isolator and a part of those, who take care of homeless dogs.

The isolator is locatad in the suburb neighbourhood called "Mariino" and is a very hard to find spot. I passed right around it at least a couple of times without noticing it, maybe because I didn't expect the building to be so miserable, for the construction of which, by the way, the municipality has assigned 8000 levs in 2005.

There are 5 kennels in the isolator, with 3 additional for mothers and their puppies. The facility is attended by 5 workers, including the chief. It is ran by the municipality enterprise "Blagoustrojavane". This is the firm responsible for collecting the city garbage. According of its director, the daily expenses of a single dog is about 10 lv., but these are mainly money for the staff - wages, electricity, water, etc. The budget assigned for 2007 is 45 000 lv.

The afore-mentioned director in an article in the local newspaper "Trakija XXI Vek" claims that since the year of 2005 200 dogs have been captured, 25% of which have been addopted or returned to their owners. He also claims that "his men don't capture dogs with collars or the ones that have been neutered. Even if there was a case like this, it was a single one." However, I found about the existence of the isolator exactly from a case where a neutered, ear-marked and with a collar of the Bridget Bardo foundation dog has been captured. When the article came out, in the upper-right corner, next to the words of the director, saying that no dogs with markings were taken there was a picture of one of those dogs, kept in the isolator. The woman, who took care of it, went looking for her pet but it was already gone.

In the same article, the director tells about another case of a castrated dog being captured the same week. In my opinion, 3 cases of castrated dogs being captured in a period of one week is no coincidence.

During the process of anaesthetizing with darts, the dog-catchers don’t wait long enough for the dog to fall asleep but instead pull it out while it is still staggering which adds extra stress. Similar was the case with the dog, thanks to which I learned about the existence of the isolator in the town.

I was unofficially told that the isolator was not registered at the Regional Veterinary Service in Haskovo, which means that it operates illegally. The same applies to the isolator in Haskovo.

The kennels are in the open with only some kind of shed above along the cells. In the winter the water in the containers freezes. The isolator has no water supply. There are auto repair stations and other industrial premises in the vicinity and maybe water carried by hand from there. It would be interesting to imagine what the level of hygiene is when there isn’t even running water?

Because of the inhuman attitude of the government towards the animals I regret I was born in Bulgaria. I feel guilty for not being able to do anything to stop this insanity carried out in an EU member country in the 21st century. I am ashamed of the fact that Bulgarians proved to be one of the cruelest nations in Europe.

 Translated by Daniel Raichev

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Undisturbed by the municipal authorities, the local dog isolator has witnessed a countless number of animal cruelty incidents. Vidin's animal isolator is located on the outskirts of the town, in immediate proximity to the Stroitel Complex, by the side of the road, which once led to the now closed fair grounds in the Reduta Str. The isolator is no more than 50 m away from a residential building. It is managed by the Eco Titan Ltd. Company, which is property of Vasil Iliev Ivanov, member of the Lawyers Association with headquarters in the capital city of Sofia. The isolator is entirely financed by the municipality of Vidin, through means collected from the tax payers living in Vidin.

Two years ago the dog isolator in Vidin was managed by the Eco Titan – Vidin Ltd. Company. Later the site was closed through prosecutor's order. Through his Titan – Sever Company Vasil Ivanov also holds the garbage control business in Vidin. The Titan – Sever and Eco Titan companies are recognized as main sponsors of the pre-election campaign of the present mayor of Vidin – Ivan Tsenov. All latest events that are somehow related to the coming 2007 local elections are also financed by the two companies mentioned above.

The dog isolator was registered on 11 August 2005 as a stock-breeding facility. Stray dogs that are captured off the streets and have been unclaimed for get euthanized here approximately two weeks after the date of their arrival. Officially and formally the isolator has its own regulations, which are approved by the District Veterinary Medical Office of Vidin. The citizens who have filed complaints against the violations committed here are being denied access to the isolator on a more frequent basis now. Such a word of command was personally issued by Zheko Baichev – General Executive of the National Veterinary Medical Office immediately after the last examination of the shelter. One of the women who had filed a complaint was not allowed into the isolator and another one was only granted access to the dog pens but was not given permission to take a look at the documentation.

The isolator has at its disposal a total of 10 dog pens, only four of which enjoy direct sunlight. The rest of the pens are located under a shed. Generally, all captured dogs are stuffed into two of the pens, which are exposed to direct sunlight and suffer all atmospheric influences. The dogs accommodated in those pens have to sit and sleep on a cement floor. Large and small, sick and healthy, all are gathered together. The other pens have been transformed into a depot for building materials. The administrative section of the shelter is quite luxurious – equipped with all modern insulation. At the same time the dogs locked in those pens die of hunger and misery. There is only one keeper who looks after the animals. According to the regulations the animals should be fed twice a day – in the morning and in the afternoon. All check-ups implemented by the corresponding authorities prove that there is plenty of dog food in the freezers of the facility. Reality shows otherwise. Only the newly brought dogs are in normal condition. All other dogs look like living skeletons.

The necessary daily ration does not reach the animals. It is scientifically proven that the constant malnutrition and starvation of an animal for the period of 2 weeks results in the loss of muscle mass. Because of the inhumane treatment of the captured animals the old dog shelter was closed by prosecutor's order 2 years ago. The motives for this were that the dogs have been sprayed with water and then electrocuted. Rumor has it that the dogs have also been killed with shovels. The squeals and howls of the animals were audible all over the town.

The adoption of stray animals is an exception for the town of Vidin. Usually it is their own animals that people take from the isolator. Otherwise the access to the premises of the isolator is highly restricted due to the fact that it has been registered as a “stock-breeding” facility, which is actually used for the killing of stray dogs and nothing else. The isolator is to be found on the outskirts of Vidin and there is no public transportation to its location. Everyone willing to adopt an animal needs to make at least three round trips between the isolator and the main office, which is located in the town center. And this is only in case luck is on your side because it is absolutely possible for the candidate to be denied access to the facility or it can even turn out that the dog in question is hidden somewhere. Witnesses testify frequently seeing pet dogs being dragged into vans by shelter workers who take them to the facility where many disappear without a trace. If you're lucky enough after a row or two in the office of the company your dog may eventually appear from who knows where. As believed there might be a secret premise inside the dog isolator where the most beautiful and well bred animals are kept. There is also a rumor that an illegal fur factory outside the town processes the already dead animals. Only the prosecutor's office and the District Veterinary Medical Office of Vidin can tell if this is true or not. The town's general standard is below the critical minimum. It is luxury here if one can find a minimum pay job. This makes it almost impossible for whomever to even free their own dogs from the isolator. The fee collected by Eco Titan Ltd. for that specific service is 27 BGN (13.50 EUR) – 25 directly enters into the company's cash register and the rest (2 BGN) is paid to the Municipality of Vidin. The official statement of the employees of Eco Titan Ltd. is that they do not collect pets. Yet, practice shows otherwise. The workers capture all kinds of dogs, even those with collars, medallions or other signs that clearly indicate they are pet dogs. Even when a dog is registered with the Municipality as a pet and its owner pays taxes for it, it could end up in the isolator. Then the owner will be asked to pay the 25 BGN fee. According to the regulations this amount of money is demanded for disinfection and neutering of the animal. Yet, none of the above is done for lack of money and qualified veterinary surgeons.

The dog isolator outside the town of Vidin is in urgent need of a veterinary surgeon. Ever since its establishment it has been using the services of one person – the 71 year-old doctor Savov. He provides his services against the humble sum of 60 BGN per month. There is evidence that doctor Savov does not do prophylaxis and disinfection of the dog pens. There even isn't a book that provides information about the dates and hours a particular disinfection event has taken place. According to the official statistics of Eco Titan Ltd., approximately 2000 dogs are euthanized in the shelter annually. Correlated with the veterinary surgeon's remuneration this means that he gets 0.36 BGN per euthanized dog. Each one of us can estimate how genuine this is. The veterinary surgeon is hired on a one-month labor contract, which is renewed every month. The newly appointed veterinary surgeon will be on a termless labor contract too. This man is also a district veterinary surgeon for the village of Kapitanovtsi.

Having in mind the great number of stray dogs that pass through this facility every month – at least 200, it is not clear how this man will manage to do all the work by himself. His duties include disinfection, dosage of anesthetics and humane euthanasia. The environmentalists from the town of Vidin are quite disturbed by this fact. They truly believe that nothing has changed and that these are simply the old-day methods, practiced today by new characters – the new veterinary surgeon will probably fill in documents only. The repeated attempts of the citizens to find out how the dogs in the isolator are killed always end up unsuccessfully. Immediately before any of the required check-ups the freezers that usually hold the bodies of the diseased animals turn out to be empty. Does the District Veterinary Medical Office of Vidin tip the isolator in advance every time? We cannot prove these allegations, yet there are well-grounded indications that point to this. Those who deal with the dogs in the isolator don't even suspect that they should have attended a course for humane treatment of the animals first. Of course none of them has attended any such activity. A similar course was organized by the District Veterinary Medical Office and the District Administration after a recent check up, which was initiated by the citizens of Vidin. Yet, Daniela Dimitrova – manager of the shelter, preferred to spend a couple of days at the seaside rather than attend the course, which would have taught her how to humanely treat the “mongrels”.

The official statistics of Eco Titan Ltd. shows that a great number of the captured animals die before they are humanely euthanized. The reasons for this remain unclear – is it because of a wrong dosage of anesthetics, is it hunger, thirst or disease or are they simply killed by other dogs accommodated in the same pen. Up to now no postmortem has been performed on any of the dead animals. There is no public control over the activities that take place in the dog shelter. There is no mediator, environmentalist, or some other person, to express the town's public opinion. The employees working in the isolator take their own actions in accordance with each specific situation. There is no account of the date on which certain dogs have entered the facility. The employees generally rely on their strong memory in terms of observation of the 14-day period, after which the dogs are euthanized. There is no information about the funds distributed by the municipality of Vidin. Although this information has been requested many times, such has not been provided by neither the municipality, nor the firm that manages the shelter. Yet, Eco Titan Ltd. has signed contracts with not only the municipality of Vidin, but also with all other municipalities in Northwestern Bulgaria. None of the representatives of the town's administration has any intention of developing a program for the neutering of stray dogs and their release in the places they are taken from. It is far more profitable to keep an annual record of 2000 uncontrolled dog killings, although those records show that neutering is a cheaper, more effective and more humane way of dealing with the population of stray animals. The 4-Paws Foundation has sent an official letter to Ivan Tsenov, mayor of the town of Vidin, requesting humane attitude towards the animals, as well as provision of the so needed neutering and vaccination procedures. In a letter, signed by Oleg Djukanov, the Municipality responds that there is no way the Administration could exercise control over the activities of Eco Titan Ltd. In spite of it the municipality grants funds from the municipal budget.

Translated by Sylvia Angelova