Large number of reports about people bitten by stray dogs in Kavarna

Stray dogs are attacking and biting adults and children in the seaside town of Kavarna, a viewer of the BNT "Bulgaria in 60 Minutes" programme reported. The problem has existed for years and is getting worse, other residents of the town said. Kavarna is not the only place, the situation with stray dogs is the same in many municipalities, the town hall said and added they were doing everything possible to solve the problem within the framework of the law.

Velichka Burlakova was attacked by a pack of stray dogs at the gate of the hospital in Kavarna.

On Sunday after I was discharged from the hospital in Kavarna there were over 10 dogs at this intersection - they attacked me. I decided to leave, the moment I took a step, one dog jumped, barked and the others barked too, they surrounded me in a circle, she says.

Frightened by their reaction, the woman stayed without moving and screamed. A shopkeeper from a nearby shop came to rescue her.

We have been here for 4 years, the problem is terrible - there is not a day when people are not attacked! We walk with stones, with dog chasers, with sticks. There are constantly bitten people, elderly people. You can imagine what may happen especially to an elderly person if a dog jumps on them and the stress they experience, and what may happen to them on the road, says Ivelina Fileva.

The manager of the medical centre says they have been going in a vicious circle for years, but there is no solution to the problem.

At times we have counted up to 13 dogs gathering in the backyard. There have been numerous reports to the municipality, to emergency number 112.

Teams have come, they have established that there is a problem. Sometimes they have caught one of them, but then the problem recurs. Thoughts are given to the problem, but nothing happens, says Dr. Evgeni Chobanov, manager of a medical centre.

The doctor says there are people in the neighbourhood who feed them and that is what keeps the dogs here.

It's just that at times they are aggressive and that creates a problem. And because the dogs are in a pack, and we know how a pack behaves. People get bitten, most of the time the wounds are not severe. People come to us, we bandage them, we process them. A man who was bitten has had a swollen hand for 3 months, says Dr. Evgeni Chobanov, manager of the medical centre.

The dogs attack not only adults, but also children on bicycles, the doctor says.

It's only a matter of time before something really bad happens! For example, if a child fails to escape, does not defend itself or falls to the ground, God knows what will happen then, says Dr. Evgeni Chobanov.

Velichka Burlakova continues with her treatment, but under stress. The medical staff in the buildings has also been repeatedly attacked.

The municipality of Kavarna reported that they have a programme in place to reduce the stray dog population. A contract has also been concluded with a veterinary specialist. The main problem is that many people abandon their pets and the income from the fees of the duly registered dogs does not cover the costs of the stray ones.

It involves activities such as catching, neutering, marking, deworming. On average, we neuter about 60 to 70 dogs a year. These procedures are applied and the dog is returned to the place from which it was captured. There are no penalties because no dogs are caught at the time of abandonment. Aggression is also difficult to prove, says Elitsa Petrova, head of the Ecology Department at Kavarna Municipality.

The only way to tackle this problem is for people to take responsibility and prove that they are indeed the most intelligent race on the planet.