Stray Dogs Shouldn't Be on Streets, Bulgarian AgriMin Reiterates

Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, a vet and a former head of Sofia's municipal company "Ekoravnovesie" (Eco-balance), is under fire over the failure in resolving the stray dog problem. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov has commented once again on the capital Sofia's notorious stray dog issue, declaring that stray dogs do not belong on the streets.

"The dogs who are aggressive and carry health risks should be captured and euthanized, while the others do not belong to the streets and should be gradually placed in shelters," the Minister said on Wednesday, pointing out that only veterinary physicians have the right to determine whether a dog is aggressive.

"I understand the reaction of NGOs," Naydenov stated. Over fifty animal right NGOs signed a petition demanding his resignation over long-lasting inactivity and failure to resolve the stray dogs' problem by applying the law.

"I prefer 100 people to attack me than thousands of dogs to attack all of us each day on the streets," he added.

Naydenov reminded that legislative changes have been proposed by the Sofia municipality that would allow for the construction of cheaper dog shelters.

From 2006 to 2009, Miroslav Naydenov was in charge of municipal company "Ekoravnovesie" (Eco-balance), which is in charge of controlling stray dogs' population in the capital.

Professor Botio Tachkov, a renowned economist, died Sunday after being brutally attacked by a large pack of stray dogs in Sofia. The accident triggered public outrage, as the city has been struggling to cope with its increasing stray dog population for years now.

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