The Animal Programs Foundation
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Mr Nihat Kabil, Minister of Agriculture
Mr Boyko Borissov, Mayor of Sofia

Cc.:
Mr Terry Davis
Mr Jose Manuel Barroso
Mr Neil Parish MEP

Sofia, January 29 2007




Dear Sirs,

A process of mass breeding, offering, roam and disappearance of cats and dogs has been taking place for many years in Bulgaria and particularly in Sofia. Both populations in Sofia remain extremely unstable. The animals became victims of the ignorant amateur interest on one side and of organized criminal traffic on the other.

Till this moment, no effective measures for overcoming of this crisis have been taken. The Veterinary Act and the European Council's Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals has been totally neglected. The mass breeding remains unrestricted; the amount of the bred animals exeeds the possibility for reliable ownership; that constantly creates an overpopulation of unwanted animals. The movement of the animals is also uncontrolled; the reduction of the population number is due to the dissapearance of a great amount of healthy unregistered animals.

Without any delay, a restriction of the breeding and movement of the pet animals must be enforced in Sofia and whole of the country. I turn to you with a request for a personal engagement in the organization, promotion and realization of the following effective measures:
- Enforcement of a permanent registration of the pet animals, according to the Veterinary Act.
- Sanctions for the mass trade with pet animals, according to the Veterinary Act.
- Establishment of control over the activeities connected with collection and transportation of pet animals (shelters et. c.), according to the Veterinary Act.
- Initiation of a campaign for information and education, according to the Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, in order to discourage the amateur breeding.
- Initiation of a campaign promoting sterilization of the pet animals, according to the Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, in order to increase the number of the sterilized animals.
- Initiation of a campaign encouraging re-homing of the "second-hand" pets, offered by their previous owners.

I would like to thank you in advance and looking forward to your rapid answer.



Sincerely,

Emil Kuzmanov, founder