Bulgaria Mulls Jailing Animal Abusers after Dog Is Maimed

The savage laming resulted in mass indignation across the country. People rallied peacefully in the capital Sofia and seven other cities urging tougher laws against animal abuse. Photo by BGNES

By Elizabet Radkova

From waz.euobserver.com

Bulgaria is considering beefing up its animal protection legislation and even jailing abusers, after an unknown assailant cut off the four legs of a dog, prompting angry protests across the country.

Dobromir Koziradski from the central Bulgarian town of Dryanovo found his female dog Mima with all of her legs axed off at the end of March.

The bleeding animal was in shock, biting her tongue in pain. Today, her life is out of danger, as she was taken to the vet immediately. Yet she cannot stand on what is left of her limbs but only lies on her back.

The savage laming resulted in mass indignation across the country. People rallied peacefully in the capital Sofia and seven other cities urging tougher laws against animal abuse.

A Facebook group demanding "imprisonment of the bastard who cut off the legs of the dog from Dryanovo" swiftly attracted 240,000 supporters in 7.7 million-strong Bulgaria.

So far nobody has been charged with crippling Mima, although the dog's owner has his suspicions about who might be responsible. Weeks after being maimed, the dog was adopted by Violeta Dobreva, from the Danube city of Ruse. She is looking for ways to make prostheses for Mima, so that the dog can stand up and move independently.

In a meeting with animal protection activists, Minister of Agriculture Miroslav Naidenov pledged legal proposals to dissuade violence against animals.

The government has asked parliament to introduce up to three years imprisonment and fines from the equivalent of €2,500 to €7,500 for abuse that entails the death or permanent bodily damage of an animal.

The proposed legal amendment envisions even harsher treatment of recurrent offenders and those who mistreat animals in front of young children - up to five years in prison and fines of between €5,000 and €15,000. The toughest punishment for such offences under the current law is a fine of up to €250.

It is not clear when the lawmakers will act.

Animal rights activists say that sadistic treatment of animals - such as hanging cats and dogs - is a commonplace in Bulgaria. Mr Naidenov believes it is largely due to public impatience with the growing number of stray dogs in cities, which often attack people. Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable.

Municipal authorities have so far failed to adequately address the issue, he said. There are some 9,000 stray dogs in Sofia alone, according to government estimates.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!