site.btaCitizens and Activists Call for Ban on Calf Caging

Citizens and activists gathered outside the National Assembly on Tuesday to call for a ban on the practice of keeping calves in cages. The initiative was organized by the Invisible Animals Association, which submitted 110,000 signatures to Parliament, demanding a legislative ban on calf cages. According to the activists, modern and more natural group housing for calves is the humane alternative.

Calf caging is a practice still found in medium and large-scale industrial dairy farms in Bulgaria, said Stefan Dimitrov, chair of Invisible Animals, speaking to journalists. After birth, the calf is locked in a cage so small that it can barely turn around—it cannot leave, run, or be among other calves, he explained. Instead, the calf spends its early life in a concrete cell or behind iron bars, Dimitrov said. The necessary ban should be included into the Veterinary Practice Act, he noted, adding that some members of Parliament have already expressed support for the cause.

The petition will be considered by the parliamentary committee for direct participation of  citizens, citizen complaints, and interaction with civil society and the committee on agriculture, food, and forestry, after which a legislative amendment could be initiated.

Farmers Also Support the Initiative A supporter of group calf housing is Gospodin Ivanov, a livestock farmer from Karnobat. "This way, the calves will be happier and feel better," he told BTA. He added that he plans to invest in group housing and robotic feeding systems. "The law currently doesn’t prohibit group housing, but it does specify a minimum area per calf," the farmer noted.

Ivanov explained that the feeding robot is used for dry feed or natural feed given to the animals. Through the robot, the feeding time and milk intake can be programmed, he also pointed out. He emphasized that robotic feeding can help prevent infections among calves, as it avoids crowding—they are fed individually. "Farmers love their animals and want to care for them," he said to those gathered.

The event was also supported by members of parliament from various political groups. "Animals can’t speak, and we must stand up for them," said Gabriel Valkov, MP from the BSP – United Left parliamentary group. "Humane treatment of children and people goes hand in hand with humane treatment of animals," stated Tsvetan Predov from There Is Such a People.

"They have no voice, but they have us" was one of the messages of the demonstration.