Bulgaria: Sofia Made First Step in Solving Pet Overpopulation Problem
Emil D. Kuzmanov | 13.07.2010 22:56 | Animal Liberation
On July 9, 2010, local website noviiskar.bg surprisingly announced that Sofia animal control service named Municipal Enterprise Ecoravnovesie will start a campaign for free sterilization, vaccination, anti-parasitic treatment, ear tatooing and passporting/registration of semi-restricted, yard dogs in the Sofia administrative district Novi Iskyr.
This campaign will be run between July 13 and August 25, 2010. The area has a total humane population of about 26,000 residents. It includes the town of Novi Iskyr with 14,000 humane residents and 12 villages, each with a humane population between 550 and 2400 residents. Treating animals will be carried out in situ, in tent set up near the respective village or town hall.
In a telephone conversation with a representative of Animal Programs Foundation, Polina Mihajlova of Ecoravnovesie said that practically all dogs in the area remain unregistered, and owners will be offered to choose the free full-service as an alternative to the impending fine imposition and paying vaccination, obligatory microchipping and registration. She explained that the team includes one veterinary surgeon, and despite the tight deadlines announced, all enrolled owners' animals will be served.
Mihajlova also assured that this new approach will cover other problematic areas of Sofia.
In fact, Sofia authority did not want to take any step in the effective dog management. In last four years, Animal Programs constantly criticized the lack of an adequate approach in pet population control. Only Animal Programs reviewed the 2007-2010 Ecoravnovesie budget - a total of about 4.9 million leva, practically all poured into a "Catch-Neuter-Release programme", with no any decline in the local dog population dynamics.
In several May and June 2010 web posts, Animal Programs urged U.S. President Barack Obama, Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, tne U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David T. Johnson, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg and American pop star Jessica Simpson to express their disagreement with the Bulgarian institutions' attitude to the pet population problem.
A letter from the Animal Programs founder Emil Kuzmanov was published in the June 2010 issue of Animal People. The total absence of animal birth control measures across the country was pointed out again; also, the opaque, inhumane and illegal activities leading to the population number reduction.
Animal Programs will continue to insist animal birth control to be considered and accepted at a national level, including cat population.
In a telephone conversation with a representative of Animal Programs Foundation, Polina Mihajlova of Ecoravnovesie said that practically all dogs in the area remain unregistered, and owners will be offered to choose the free full-service as an alternative to the impending fine imposition and paying vaccination, obligatory microchipping and registration. She explained that the team includes one veterinary surgeon, and despite the tight deadlines announced, all enrolled owners' animals will be served.
Mihajlova also assured that this new approach will cover other problematic areas of Sofia.
In fact, Sofia authority did not want to take any step in the effective dog management. In last four years, Animal Programs constantly criticized the lack of an adequate approach in pet population control. Only Animal Programs reviewed the 2007-2010 Ecoravnovesie budget - a total of about 4.9 million leva, practically all poured into a "Catch-Neuter-Release programme", with no any decline in the local dog population dynamics.
In several May and June 2010 web posts, Animal Programs urged U.S. President Barack Obama, Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, tne U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David T. Johnson, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg and American pop star Jessica Simpson to express their disagreement with the Bulgarian institutions' attitude to the pet population problem.
A letter from the Animal Programs founder Emil Kuzmanov was published in the June 2010 issue of Animal People. The total absence of animal birth control measures across the country was pointed out again; also, the opaque, inhumane and illegal activities leading to the population number reduction.
Animal Programs will continue to insist animal birth control to be considered and accepted at a national level, including cat population.
Emil D. Kuzmanov
e-mail:
animalprograms@abv.bg
Homepage:
http://animalprograms.webs.com