We asked for Minister NAydenov’s resignation and the reply is not late:
“Nadia Stancheva (ARSofia CEO) falcefully adopted and returned to the street 250 aggresive dogs from the Seslavci shelter”

Conratulations to Telegraph newspaper for the money they made with this falce story:
“Minister Naydenov brought out horrible swindles by NGO’s”

The Ministry of Agriculture and the “Telegraph” newspaper state that our Chairlady Nadia is running a business with stray dogs. They also claim that the dogs we’ve rehomed in Holland from Seslavci in 2008-2009 (the years before we began working in Bogrov) were released back to the street.

NOW THE TRUTH:
When Nadia began working to rehome dogs from Seslavci in Holland Naydenov himself was director of Ecobalance and Seslavci. It was with his permission and assistance that the dogs were taken from Seslavci. And as proof we will point out the fact that the first dogs we brought to Holland were brought thereon our expence, and transported with a vehicle of Ecobalance itself!

So how is it that suddenly Mr.Naydenov knows not that the dogs were rehomed in Holland??? How is it that suddenly Nadia is making money on dogs???

What a lie! Are there any lawyers among our friends? We would so much enjoy sueing both this newspaper and the Minister for calumny.

 

Meanwhile last night Animal Rescue Sofia, Vier Pfoten Bulgaria and City forPeople representatives took part in a TV show on national television called “Referendum“. The discussion evolved arround the possibility of euthanasia and the necessary measures that need to be taken to reall tackle the problem finally.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Stella Raycheva (ARS), Mila Bobadova (C4P), Yavor Gechev (VP)

In a letter to the Minister of Agriculture and Foods and the Mayor of Sofia, sent on April 04, the world renown Dog population management expert Nathalie Klinge shared her disappointment with the poorly handled stray dog problem. Mrs.Klinge is Dutch and has been consulting both the Ministry and Municipalities on two occasions – in 2010 and 2011.

In her letter she states that Bulgarian authorities have taken no consideration with the knowledge they have received. Mrs.Klinge  quotes Minister Naydenov’s commitment to the Spay/Neuter program, his assurances to Brussels that he will be working with the non-governmental organizations and etc. – statements that are alien to the Minister these days.

Mrs.Klinge also asks the authorities how exactly it is that the NGO’s are blamed for the government’s failure.  As an expert, she finds the Ministry and Municipalities have done nothing reasonable to solve the stray dog problem, but instead spent huge amounts of taxpayers’ money.

Nathalie Klinge is an advisor for FPCC – a foundation operating in North-West Romania, famous for it’s huge success in reducing stray dog numbers through CNVR  – Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate & Return.

Her strongest recommendation is that Bulgaria needs a Nation-wide Spay&Neuter program, a coordinated plan for a mass and total neutering of free roaming dogs.  She believes educating the public is an inseparable part of the solution and suggests neutering of yard dogs as a number one priority.

We remind you that on Monday 50 NGO’s from Bulgaria and Europe have come together to demand the resignation of Miroslav Naydenov as Minister of Agriculture and Foods.  In response D-r Naydenov replied that they should apologize to the people who were bitten by dogs. His demand for apology was met by the NGO’s with a: “Blaming us for the stray dogs is absolutely ridiculous and insolent!”

Meanwhile Sofia Deputy-Mayor for Ecology Maria Boyajiiska resigned. Her resignation was not accepted by Sofia Mayor Fandukova, but it was on account of the many dog-bite incidents in the city. We respect her worthy decision,  but we don’t think Mrs.Boiajiiska  can be held responsible for the chaos and idleness on the stray dog problem that can be seen in any corner of the country. Minister Naydenov alone is the person who holds the political responsibility for this outrage and we continue to demand his resignation.

Stella Raycheva, Stanislava Stancheva, Robert Smith, Nadia Stancheva and Nathalie Klinge at the training seminar in October 2010

Dear Dr. Miroslav Naydenov and Mrs. Yordanka Fandukova,
I would like to share my concerns about the current development in Sofia with the stray dog situation.

To refresh your memory a short introduction:
In 2010 I wrote a report on the stray dog situation in Sofia and the ineffective and corrupt policies of Ecobalance. Therefore I was invited in October 2010 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food for a seminar/training in Sofia. Me and my colleagues gave several lectures on how to solve Sofia’s stray dog problem. In September 2011 we were invited again to meet Mrs. Yordanka Fandukova to inform her how to solve Sofia’s and Bulgaria’s stray dog problem.
So far nothing concrete was done with the information we gave and now it came to an explosive situation in Bulgaria in which the NGO’s are blamed for the decades of mismanagement of Sofia Municipality and its Ecobalance.

I wrote in my report in 2010:

• The existing stray dog problem in Sofia is caused by the lack of proper Governmental support to contribute to an effective strategy in tackling the problem.
• The Ecoravnovesie Sofia Municipal Animal Control neutering activities fail because it doesn’t return the dogs to its original community.
• Ecoravnovesie doesn’t show any activities in educating children, promoting responsible dog owner ship, offering low cost neutering and publicity campaigns.
• Ecoravnovesie Sofia Municipal Animal Control has no accurate figures of the number of stray dogs, owned dogs or community dogs. The conclusion of Naidenov that the streets of Sofia should be “cleaned up” by the end of 2011 will by far not be achieved. By cleaned up, we assume he means free of roaming dogs with or without owners.

Many Bulgarian politicians have described the problems in Bulgaria and even proposed proper solutions, but so far nothing has been done. The only parties actually working on the issue are the few NGO’s.

 We estimated the total dog population of Bulgaria is less than 1,000,000, but that needs to be surveyed properly. In 10 years’ time (1998-2008) Sofia Municipality wasted over 4 million Euro’s on dog population management, so money must be available.

What is taking Bulgarian local and national government so long to allocate budget for dealing with the stray dog issues? And how come NGO’s became the scapegoat for governmental failure? The NGO’s in Bulgaria will make the change. Most of them consist of highly educated and intelligent people working together with foreign advisors and with foreign veterinary teams. They visit conferences on Dog Population Management. They initiate education programs and PR campaigns to raise awareness among Bulgarians, but too often being obstructed by local authorities.

Nowadays thanks to modern media it has become so easy to reach your inhabitants. It is the Bulgarian government’s duty to protect its inhabitants from a surplus over free roaming dogs. Since these inhabitants are the source of the problem a national campaign to encourage dog owners to spay/neuter their dogs is priority number one. The people are the source of the problem, the dogs is just the symptom. Therefore the Bulgarian Government has to raise awareness among its inhabitants. Violence against dogs, killing dogs, encouraged by the mass hysteria created by local governments and mass media has a negative effect on a society. It raises violent children who will become violent adults once. Killing dogs is endless, ineffective and extremely costly.

I strongly suggest to study our power point presentations on http://www.slideshare.net/NathalieLouise once more and if we can be of any help, we are at your service.

Kind regards, Nathalie Klinge

International Consultant Dog Population Management

The Netherlands

 

SEE ALSO: Former statements Bulgarian Politicians and officials

 

1. Mrs. Evdokia Maneva

In October 2008 Mrs. Evdokia Maneva, member of the Bulgarian Parliament at that time, gave a lecture on the Animal Welfare Conference in Brussels in which she stated:

Long-term  Solutions of the Animal Protection Act

• Popularizing and educating the professional and the social sector in the field of animal protection;
• Control and regulation of some activities connected to animals – exhibitions, competitions, circuses, pet shops etc.;
• Regulation and limitation of breeding wild animals by private  individuals, in places of public resort or points of sale;
• Controlling mechanisms as regards the administration of law;
• Regulation of the population of stray animals;
• Of utmost importance – the regulation regarding breeding pets.
• The weak points are connected primarily with the enforcement of the Animal Protection Act (the typical difficulties for the enforcement of many Bulgarian laws);
• In spite of the weaknesses, the Bulgarian Animal Protection Act has been given a high appraisal as one of Europe’s bests legislations in its field.

 

2. Dr. Miroslav Naydenov

On that same conference Dr. Miroslav Naydenov, current Minister of Agriculture and Food and at that time director of Ecobalance, stated in his lecture:

“The joint efforts of NGO, governmental institutions and the municipality would result in permanent and human solution of the problem.”

Years ago Dr. Miroslav Naydenov referred in another presentation to the following paragraphs of the Guidelines for Dog Population Management by the W.H.O.:

• “Removal and killing of dogs should never be considered as the most effective way of dealing with a problem of surplus dogs in the community: it has no effect whatsoever on the root cause of the problem.”
  Guidelines for Dog Population Management, W.H.O. Geneva 1990 (page 74).
• “Any reduction in population density through mortality is rapidly compensated by better reproduction and survival.  In other words when dogs are removed, the survivors’ life expectancy increases because they have better access to the resources, and there is less competition for resources.”.
  Guidelines for Dog Population Management, W.H.O. Geneva 1990 (page 9).
• “In the long term, control of reproduction is by far the most effective strategy of dog population management.”
  Guidelines for Dog Population Management, W.H.O. Geneva 1990 (page 72).

 

3. Dr. Madlen Vasileva

On the 17th and 18th of October 2011 Dr. Madlen Vasileva, chief of department Animal Health, Animal Health and Food Safety Directorate of the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food stated:

Stray dogs – Problem background:

1. SOCIAL:

• after the change of political system– years of ignoring the problem
• increase of the inhabitants in the towns
• bad waste management

2. ECONOMICAL:

• impoverishing
• increasing inflation

3. MUNICIPAL POLICY 1998 2006

• policy to handle the problem with dogs – mass killing.
• Sofia – more than 70 000 dogs are killed. Funds over 2 500 000 Euro are spent. No results.

4. RESULTS OF THE MUNICIPAL POLICY IN 1998 2006

• poor reputation of the country in the EP and EC;
• impossibility to work with NGOs;
• commitment of the country to adopt Animal Protection Act.

 Conclusions

• Public-private partnership is necessary
• The joint efforts of NGO, governmental institutions and the municipality would result in permanent and human solution of the problem.

Stella Raycheva from Animal Rescue Sofia and d-r Marina Ivanova from the Bulgarian Branch of Vier Pfoten stood against a Mr.Radoslav Toshev – member of the Sofia Municipal Council from the governing GERB party.

Mr.Toshev, Municipal Counceller for a 9-th year in a row was amazingly arrogant, much in the tone of his colleague D-r Naydenov.

Some of his increadible comments on the neutering in Sofia:
“These dogs are neutered and wether there is a half or a whole ovary left, nature finds a way for them to reproduce again.”

Mr. Toshev also stated that the Municipality gave 250 000E to the NGO’s. When he received a suttle reaction from Stella and Marina he overlooked the remerk with a “Well, not you exactly”.

According to the Sofia counceller the dogs are “bathed and washed” at Spay/Neuter centers and shelters are “dog farms”.

These and many more amazing and totally out of line comments can be heard throughout the 30 minute conversation in the studio. The video can be SEEN HERE – please, be patient with the adds and begin viewing from minute 12. (Sorry, the porgram is only available in Bulgarian)

50 Animal Wellfare NGO’s from Bulgaria, Holland, Germany and Switzerland want the resignation of Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture Miroslav Naydenov on account of “years of institutional languid attempts and lack of control” regarding the stray-dog issue.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Presindent and the Ombudsman the Organizations want a Nation-wide Trap, Neuter & Return Program, as recommended by world-renown experts and the World Health Organization.

More organizations are joining in as we go along. Please note that the official letter has been sent, so we will only be updating the website list of signatures.

Please, help us spread the word and send THIS LETTER to all your contacts in the media and Animal Wellfare NGO’s. Here follows the text:

 

TO:
Miroslav Naydenov,
Minister of agriculture and foods

COPY TO:
Rosen Plevneliev,
President of Bulgaria
Boyko Borisov,
Prime minister
Konstantin Penchev,
Ombudsman
Yordanka Fandakova,
Mayor of Sofia
John Dalli,
Comissioner for health and consumer policy
Local and International Media

OPEN LETTER

 

Dear doctor Naydenov,
as people who are directly engaged with the stray dog problem we believe that your position on radical legislation changes aims to distract the public attention from the true origins of the problem.

We also believe that you are the one responsible for the long years of institutional languid attempts and lack of control in enforcing the current stray dog legislation.

 

For having 47% of the echinococcal disease of the EU here in Bulgaria – not in the cities where the stray dog population is the largest, but in rural areas where your National Food Safety Agency has zero control over the illegitimate cultivation, butchering and consumption of meat-producing animals;

For refusing to work with experts and relying on populist and ineffective methods to solve the stray dog problem – thus increasing both corruption in the related authorities and risk to the health of the citizens;

For having assimilated formidable amounts of money for the non-existent pet dog registry database, which should have been finished by the National Food Safety Agency back in 2008 and is still unusable;

For not punishing one single person for abandoning their pet since the Animal Protection Act is in force – from 2008;

For the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture neglects the recommendations both of the European Parliament and the World Health Organization on Trap, Neuter & Return as an only effective long-term way to solve a stray dog situation that also benefits public health;

For not being at all concerned with the recommendations of the world-renown experts (invited to Bulgaria in 2010 by the Ministry itself) who suggested Bulgaria needs a National strategy on the issue. That is to say: Trap, Neuter & Return on a national level, coordinated by the central government and executed in a military manner in all Bulgarian municipalities;

For having neglected the ombudsman’s standpoint on the issue. Mr. Konstantine Penchev sent his advice back in the beginning of 2011, insisting that the Ministry of Agriculture should be the one to lead a National Strategy: to help the municipalities by  providing funds, legislation and coordinating a nation-wide Trap, Neuter & Return program;

For refusing a public-private partnership on the issue, despite the many recommendations and good practices of the EU, and even rushing a bill through so that the NGO’s are excluded from the process;

For deceiving the public as a veterinarian and a Minister in order to increase the tension in society, polarize opinions on the issue in order to avoid a constructive dialog and analysis of the weak, unmethodical and corrupt work of the municipalities and the ministry on the problem;

 

We expect you to take up your political responsibility and resign as Minister of Agriculture and Foods.

 

We remain open to a dialog.
Sofia 09.04.2012

 

1. Four Paws/Vier Pfoten – Bulgaria

2. Animal Rescue Sofia – Bulgaria

3. Intimate With Nature Society – Bulgaria

4. Citizen group “Animal Welfare Society – Shoumen” – Bulgaria

5. Citizen Group “Friendly Help For The Stray Dogs – Ardino” – Bulgaria

6. “Brücke der Hoffnung für Hunde in Not” DE – 83329 Waging am See – Deutschland

7. “Tierschutzverein/Tierschutzhof SOS-Colliehilfe e.V.”  DE-32369 Rahden – Deutschland

8. “Deutsch-Griechischer Tierschutzverein e. V.”   DE-51107 Köln – Deutschland

9. Ovidefarm – Netherlands

10. Stichting Dierennood – Netherlands

11. Animal Foundation Platform – Netherlands

12. Tierhilfe Sofia – Switzerland

13. Citizen Group “Love and Care” – Bulgaria

14. Citizen Group “Cat Friends” – Bulgaria

15. Non-profit organization “Care and Shelter For Everyone” – Bulgaria

16. Non-profit organization “Citizen Control – Protection of Animals” – Bulgaria

17. Citizen Group “City For People” – Bulgaria

18. Non-profit association “Dai Lapa” – Bulgaria

19. National Rottweiler Club – Bulgaria

20. Citizen group “Help For Animals In Need” – Bulgaria

21. Foundation “AFA” – Bulgaria

22. Citizen group for education and help “Friends Of The Pitbull Terrier” – Bulgaria

23. “Animal Wellfare Society – Lom” – Bulgaria

24. Deutsche-Bulgarische Strassenhilfe – Rousse – Bulgaria

25. Animal Rights Protection Association – Bulgaria

26. “Hop For The Strays” Foundation – Bulgaria

27. “Animal Friends Bourgas” Foundation – Bulgaria

28. “Sharko” Foundation – Bulgaria

29. “Friends for Animals” Association – Bulgaria

30. “Together Against Animal Abuse” Association – Bulgaria

31. “Loyal Eyes – Balchik” – Bulgaria

32. Citizen Association “Love for Love” – Dobrich – Bulgaria

33. “Green Light” Association – Primorsko – Bulgaria

34. “Care for Homeless Dogs” Federation – Bulgaria

35. Stichting PIN – Netherlands

36. Dierenbelangen – Netherlands

37. Citizen Association “Let’s Adopt” – Bulgaria

38. “Help For The Animals – Dara” Association – Bulgaria

39. “Animal Hope Bulgaria – Varna” Foundation – Bulgaria

40. „Hunde in Not „ DE- 29690 Lindwedel – Deutschland

41. „Tierhielfe Heidekreis“  DE- 29308 Winsen – Deutschland

42. „New Life 4 Spanish Animals“  DE-13053 Berlin – Deutschland

43. „Gnadenhof Garscha Tierschutzgruppe Rüppurr/Odenheim e.V. „Odenheim – Deutschland

44. „Tierhilfe Zarzis e.V. „  – Deutschland

45.“ Tierschutzverein Helfe4Pfoten e.V. „ DE-93326 Abensberg  -  Deutschland

46. Tierheim Surber  CH- 8046 Zürich – Switzerland

47. “Animal Help Varna” Foundation – Bulgaria

48. “Animal Hope Plovdiv” Foundation – Bulgaria

49. National Cocker Club – Bulgaria

50. National Kynological Club Cane Corso – Bulgaria

51. “Animal protection Society”, Sevlievo – Bulgaria

52. “Citizen control – aid to the animals” Association – Bulgaria

53. Dog training school “Dea”, Plovidiv – Bulgaria

54. “My friend – the dog” Magazine – Bulgaria

55. Dogo Argentino Cynological Club – Bulgaria

56. Kinlogical Union Plovdiv – Bulgaria

57.  “Care for the voiceless” Association, Silistra  – Bulgaria

58. Help for strays – Netherlands

59. Animalhope Tierhilfe Nitra – Austria

60. Stichting MyrSis – Netherlands

61. NGO Bulgaria Animal Protection Vratza – Bulgaria

62. Citizen Group “Homeless in Plovdiv” – Bulgaria

63. Occupy For Animals – Bulgaria

64. European Society of Dog and Animal Welfare

 

 

The minister of agriculture Мiroslav Naidenov announced today that it is being thought about a return to mass euthanasia as a method of dealing with the stray dog population.
The former boss of Ecobalance also blamed NGO’s for the stray dog population.

 

• When the municipalities and the central government aren’t doing their jobs and instead spend years in theft and slacking;
• When their despicable slacking is escalating;
•  When ACTA is quietly being pushed through, the Belene power-plant and gas fracking plans become a topic for the citizens;
• When children are dying on the streets of our cities and the government begins to look worse and worse to people;

 Then the time has come to KILL THE DOGS!

Then the Bulgarians will not be asking “What did you spend all that money on?” or “Why did you do nothing about the problem for years?” they will repeat “Let’s KILL THE DOGS!” as a mantra and not have a single doubt.

Without any discussion minister Naydenov  decided “Concentration camps will be built for the dogs. There are dogs on the street only because of those crazy NGO’s – it’s their fault!”. “KILL THE DOGS!” – what a great slogan for an uneducated nation. A nation of obedient folk. Deaf and dumb, not asking any questions, as long as they get to KILL THE DOGS!

Spay/Neuter and Return is not working? Oh, so you know better than the World Health Organization? Please, than be so kind to return all the budget you have used so far for those useless municipal companies that spend 400E on mowing a decare of land. And dearest representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, please be so kind and give back those millions you ghave received for the non-existant dog-registry database. And then you may blame us. Then you may yell “KILL THE DOGS!”

Our apoogies, her minister. But you have greatly miscalculated things. The people of Bulgaria are not a bunch of blind idiots. Our nation doesn’t consist only of blood-thirsty journalists.  Bulgarians can think, they can see and they have travelled. We are Europeans. And when you, ladies and gentlemen of the government, are trying to lie to us. When you are washing your hands in the blood of the poor professor Tachkov, then it is NOT TIME TO  KILL THE DOGS!

PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION and state a clear NO to the hault of Spay/Neuter and return.