site.btaUPDATED On International Homeless Animals Day, Specialists Call for Statistics on Strays in Bulgaria

International Homeless Animals Day is marked every third Saturday in August, which this year falls on August 17. On the occasion, Lina Encheva of Bunny Rescue Bulgaria and Nadya Stancheva of Animal Rescue Sofia commented for BTA that there is a need of statistics on homeless animals in Bulgaria.

Encheva said that there has not been a census for stray dogs and cats in Bulgaria. Stancheva noted that there have been several censuses for Sofia and perhaps for other settlements, but not for the whole country. "It is always important to know what needs to be done, what we are up against when we solve a problem," she commented.

Encheva told BTA that over 200 reports about stray rabbits were received at Bunny Rescue Bulgaria in January-October 2023. The problem of stray rabbits has existed for a long time and all over the world, she added. Rabbits are very inexpensive as pets, but their veterinary care is expensive because they are an exotic pet. People don't have the right information and take them as a starter pet, Encheva explained. When the pet rabbit has a medical problem, the owners prefer to buy a new one and throw the old one out, treating their pet as a replaceable item.

Stancheva specified that these are breeds of bunnies that cannot survive in the city or the forest. People buy them for their children, quickly get bored of them and throw them away. She added that most often the bunnies are dumped with the cages next to garbage containers. People are fooled into thinking someone will take them, Stancheva said. 

Encheva advises bunny owners who no longer want their pet to contact a veterinary clinic or her organization, which will seek a new home for the rabbit. "If the bunny needs to be treated, we will do that. Just keep calm and patient so we can get the job done. We have not turned anyone away. We encourage people to educate themselves before getting a pet,"  Encheva said. She told BTA there are cases of violence against rabbits but the State does not react.

Animal Rescue Sofia has a shelter for dogs and cats as well as a sanctuary for farm animals - donkeys and horses, Stancheva told BTA. Horses must be microchipped and registered, as must dogs, but there are fines for horses and they are checked. When a horse causes a traffic accident, the owners just abandon it and run away, not waiting for the traffic police because they are liable, Stancheva explained. According to her, this is the most common case in which her organization receives a horse. It is not chipped and has nowhere to go, she added.

International Homeless Animals Day has been marked annually since 1992 on the initiative of the International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR). The aim is to raise awareness in the international community of the plight of stray and abandoned animals.

In 1695, the world's first shelter for stray dogs was set up in Japan. In the 1880s, the first shelters for stray animals were established in the USA and Great Britain, and in the early 20th century in Australia. In 1822, Great Britain passed the first law against cruelty to animals.