site.btaPublic Should Be Informed about Stray Dogs, Shelters Not the Solution, Experts Say at Sofia Discussion

The public must be informed about stray dogs, and shelters for stray animals are not the solution, experts said during a discussion at Sofia Municipality on Friday. The talk on "Protection and Strategies for Stray Animals" was initiated by Municipal Councillor Marta Georgieva and international consultants on stray animals Brian Faulkner and veterinarian Dr. Vojislav Dimitrovski. They visited Sofia at the invitation of Mayor Vassil Terziev and on Georgieva's initiative, and shared their observations and recommendations in the humane and efficient control of strays' population.

Globally, 70% or more of dogs are strays, which means that humans have neglected their best friend, commented Dr. Dimitrovski. 

Faulkner said that most stray animals were once pets. These unneutered animals, which are allowed to roam free or have run away from home, come into contact with stray animals, thus increasing the population, the expert explained. He advised pet owners to consider whether they can afford a dog before getting one, because keeping an animal is expensive, as well as whether the breed is suitable for their household.

The uncontrolled amount of food waste also plays a role in strays' growth in number. If the dogs are neutered and returned to their environment, their population will decrease on its own, he added.

The experts discussed the effectiveness of the Catch, Neuter, Return Programme. Before any changes are made, an information campaign must be carried out, said Faulkner. The Programme's main element is education. This means changing attitudes through promotion and developing a humane attitude towards animals in children, he said. 

Georgieva said that Bulgaria has laws and national programmes to control the stray dog population, as well as a municipal programme, and they are very well written, but the problem is compliance. "What we are seeing, including in Sofia, which is the most advanced in terms of stray dog policies, is actually mass sheltering," she commented. "If we look at international experience, shelters, even if they have very good conditions, are not at all a method for reducing the population. They are intended for individual animals that may be problematic and aggressive, to be worked with and socialized, or for old or sick animals that are taken in only to be treated, or for domestic animals that have been abandoned by their owners. This should be the only purpose of a shelter," according to Georgieva.

She gave an example with the shelter in Gorni Bogrov in Sofia, built for 1,500 dogs but with only seven caretakers. She pointed out that this shelter has already been declared illegal by the court. "Following my report, I believe it was in 2021 that the Veterinary Service issued an order stating that neither the size of the cages nor the fences nor the doghouses met the requirements. This order finally came into force after three years of litigation, and now the Sofia Municipality is obliged to reconstruct it," Georgieva said.

The Municipal Council is to vote on BGN 100,000 for the design of the new shelter. However, in the Sofia Municipality, everything must go through public procurement, and the procedures are lengthy, she added. 

Georgieva recalled that stray dogs are neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and then returned to the streets. She also noted that measures must be introduced for the responsible breeding of domestic dogs, so that it is known who has a dog, whether it is neutered, and if it is not neutered, what happens to its offspring.

Brian Faulkner works with leading international non-governmental organizations around the world, including World Animal Protection, RSPCA International, Dogs Trust Worldwide, Naturewatch, as well as with government agencies in Asia, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, including the governments of Singapore and North Macedonia, providing training and consulting through his organization Stray Animal Solutions. 

Dr. Vojislav Dimitrovski is a veterinarian, national consultant to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization for North Macedonia, who has worked at the Food and Veterinary Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia and as manager of the dog shelter in Skopje, as well as national coordinator of the Veterinary Chamber of North Macedonia for solving problems with stray dogs in the country.