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In June 10, 2004 The Court in Sofia register The Foundation ANIMAL PROGRAMS BULGARIA. The main purpose of ANIMAL PROGRAMS is the health and welfare of all cats and dogs in Bulgaria. Therefore The Foundation accept as basic the common principles of prevention cat&dog population crisis:
* the restriction of cat and dog movements mainly by introducing a national system of identification and registration (this requirement of EU REGULATION N:998/2003 obligate Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey)
* the restriction of commercial pet breeding mainly by introducing of taxation
* the restriction of amateurish pet breeding mainly by producing of informative-educational programme
* the restriction of reproduction of semi-dependent animals mainly by producing of sterilization programme.
UNUSUAL NATIONAL INDUSTRY
Bulgaria support a long time ago the illegal industry using millions pet animals as free commodity. For exemple every year from Far East are exported approximately 2,000,000 furs yielded by domestic dogs (data published by The ROYAL SPCA).
In Bulgaria there is a widespread traditional interest towards the huge number of companion cats and dogs, towards the hudge number of free-roaming, tame cats and dogs in residential and industrial yards, also towards all dogs living on the streets. Nevertheless there is not an official national policy concerning cat and dog populations and their increase. The number of permanently increasing populations, also the number of permanently dsisappearing animals stay unknown and unnaturally dynamic. We can approximate the density of cats and dogs using Great Britain's 2001 data published by The ROYAL SPCA, where the number of cats and dogs present at about 20 percent of the number of the human population (8,000,000 cats and 6,500,000 dogs). For probable idea of reproductive crisis we take North Carolina's 80's statistical data published by The ANIMAL PEOPLE Newspaper, when officially reported were killed on average of 238,000 unwanted cats and dogs yearly, per 1,000,000 humane citizens.
The only official data to my knowledge concerning both populations is that the Deputy-Mayor of Sofia confirm in the daily press in May 2000 about 13,000 - 14,000 dog killings for 16mo. period, per 1,200,000 citizens (for exemple, in 1999 the number of official shelter killings in Greater Kansas City, Missouri are 65,000 anually per 1,300,000 citizens, data published by The FUR ANGELS). Actually the sole real control of cat and dog populations is connected with their criminal reduction including the following activities:
# the illegal catching of unknown number semi-dependent cats and their posterity constantly disappearing in good phisical condition
# the thefts of many free-walking companion cats and dogs
# the systematical obtaining by deceit of immense number unregistered pet cats and pet dogs offered by their owners; also of many dogs collected with promises for their adoption in Switzerland (in Sofia exists popular "animal rescuers" working in this field)
# the systematical abuse by uncnown number of dogs in the municipal shelters: I was a witness on cases that dogs caught by the municipal dog-catchers were not checked in the City's shelter or were not returned to their owners; in March 2000 Mr. Pavel Atanasov shot a video of illegal activities in the same City's shelter, including the loading to a truck of few dozens alive and drugged-down dogs and taking them to unknown destination; besides in the last years the Sofia's Municipal shelter in Miroviane is used by the fur enterprise "Vigomi".
THE POPULATION INCREASE OWING TO THE LACK OF GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL
The official governmental control on "pet movements" in Bulgaria include identification and registration of owned dogs reached 6 months, also keeping reports and records on the proffesional breeding and trade with companion animals (in pet-shops). In the same time many amateurs are breeding unregistred pet animals for a hopeful undeclared income of 75-150 EURO/each. Inreality a part of the black market consist of unregistered pet animals offered by classifieds in pet-shops, vet-cabinets, newspapers or Internet (www.fokus.bg). Besides one of the organized activities in Sofia is setting free in different town quarters small groups of 3-4 unregistred dogs with collars (sterilized), which obviously are constantly born in private backyards.
(!)ANIMAL PROGRAMS contact the Bulgarian State Institutions and give the steady opportunities of criminal industry, also the necessity to introduce of real commercial control in this direction. In January 2004 ANIMAL PROGRAMS made a PROPOSITION FOR CREATING OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR CONTROL OVER THE BREEDING AND TRADING OF CATS AND DOGS to The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (and Veterinary Activity) and The Minister of Finance giving the common measures in effective pet-population control; in March 11 2004 ANIMAL PROGRAMS made a PETITION FOR UNDERTAKING OF FIRM CONTROL OVER ALL ACTIVITIES INVOLVING DOG AND CAT POPULATIONS. So far the State Institutions carefully avoid to discuss this crisis.
THE POPULATION INCREASE OWING TO THE LACK OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
During the last few years numerous media, bureaucrats, veterinarians and non-governmental organizations got engaged themselves in a massive phony and hypocritical propaganda. As of today the public opinion about the pet-population problem is widely believed to be the lack of an ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT as well as the homeless dogs presenting an separate population. Inreality not enough owners are restricting their pets of mating, owing it to obscure, subjective and biased motivations. There is widespread false belief, that giving birth is healthy for the animal and that are more then enough number of responsible candidates for their offspring. Therefore it is a widespread practice many unregistred pets kept for 2-3 years to be offer for second adoption.
(!)From December 2002 ANIMAL PROGRAMS is constantly looking for support from the newsmedia for eluciding of this crisis. In a meanwhile the questions about the approximate number of both populations, their increase and their reduction has been carefully avoided or restricted in the media.
THE POPULATION INCREASE OWING TO THE LACK OF WIDE STERILIZATION PROGRAMME
The fertility among all females practically is kept in tact. Two non-governmental organizations were announcing the sterilization in Sofia during the last 10-12 years of approximately 6,000 free-roaming unregistred dogs (males and females).
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