Street Dogs: Time for some serious campaign, surely?

[Malky]

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This about says it all:-

http://sofiaecho.com/2009/10/19/801921_ ... e/bulletin

Is any website/newspaper/authority prepared to stand out and try to get something done about this? It can't keep going on.

Malky

[Slaphead]

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Malky, do us steam driven internet users a favour and cut and paste the article. I've been trying to open the site for about 4 weeks now (or so it seems anyway!)

Slaps.

[gimlet]

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There's another article here from Trud, complete with gory photo.

http://www.trud.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId=257489

Evidently the dogs were unregistered and the neighbours had been complaining. The owner maintains that it is not her fault because one of her b***es was in heat and attracted a big yellow dog that attacked the girl. Some excuse!!

I agree, Malky, that this dog problem shows that civilisation has either not arrived in Bulgaria, or perhaps it was there but left.

Here you are, Slaps

Stray dogs kill young girl in Bulgarian village
Mon, Oct 19 2009 16:47 CET byNick Iliev

A pack of stray dogs dismembered a six-year-old girl, Kristiana Marinova, from the Razgrad village of Topchii, Dnevnik daily reported on October 19 2009.

The little girl was spending the weekend with her grandmother in the village of Sushevo when a pack of vicious dogs tore into her while she was on her way to the grocery store. The dogs attacked her savagely and repeatedly, with one canine tearing into her throat. The pack was eventually dispersed by shopkeeper Kassim Zuhtyo.

The dogs reportedly belonged to 49-year-old teacher Elena Bankova who has about a dozen canines in her garden, but the dogs in question have free access to and from the yard and are often seen in the village, chasing cars and terrorising locals.

The free-roaming pack had attacked Kristina on a previous occasion, only the first time she had survived. Reportedly they had also attacked farm animals. Local authorities were alerted and offered Bankova the option of relocating her dogs because it was apparent that she could not handle the situation and the pack was roaming free. Bankova, however, refused, claiming that the pack in question were not "strays" and that everything was under control.

According to Dnevnik, Bankova said that girl was killed by another stray dog that was not part of her pack. She says she "helped the child by escorting it to the ambulance".

A criminal case of manslaughter has been opened. If convicted, Bankova faces three years in prison. It is still unclear if the pack of dogs will be relocated or exterminated.

Thank you, Sofia Echo and Reuters

[Moscow_Wolf]

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'it is still unclear whether they will be relocated or exterminated'!

Without the benefit of a judge and jury and being a big dog lover, I believe the whole pack has to be put down, but that will probably mean by a shotgun over here.

I would suggest that the owner needs putting down also. What a waste of a young human life due to the irresponsibility of the owner and the local authorities.

[Biker]

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Dreadful.
Totally inexcusable. They should have been put down the first time they attacked the child.

Our prayers are with her family.

[Hippyboy]

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Poor little girl , and so avoidable . Did the authorities have no more power than to SUGGEST the relocation of the roaming pack of dogs after the previous attack ? The teacher should be ashamed of herself and deserves to get more than 3 years for her negligence . Packs of dogs are very scarry and there should be strong powers to deal with them .
Tim.

[Mat]

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If it was my kid, I'd have gone up there with a shotgun after the first attack and resolved the issue.

[stevetheyorky]

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If it was my kid, I'd have gone up there with a shotgun after the first attack and resolved the issue.

But Mat surely that's cruel to the dogs - it's not their fault

Or did you plan to shoot the owner?

My thoughts are with the family

steve

[houseman]

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A dreadful story. I live in hope that progress will be made in dealing - on all fronts - with dog problems in BG, but will the killing of an innocent child be enough to shake up the people and the system? I am not convinced.
Our British joined-up thinking about the issue: legislating, licensing, educating, keeping, caring, training, neutering, protecting, improving, disposing... is not apparent in the way many Bulgarians think and act. And not just poor, ignorant ones either: this woman was a teacher!!!
Such attitudes will take a generation or more to change, but please, please, let's push for big changes NOW!

[Nick666]

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Two years ago my truck was attacked by a dog in Ravda whilst driving along!! I swerved and the dog went straight over the back landing in a field.I went straight to the local police and they explained it was a dog of war have no idea what breed it is but if you see one of these and believe me they are huge run for your life.Eight officers in two cars left immediately with shotguns to track it down .I never saw it again thank god.They also appear to have a cull spring time as during the winter there were two main packs roaming around but at the start of the tourist season they were nowhere to be seen.This is the time of year the dogs seem to pack together i suppose to try and survive the winter and should be avoided at all cost.THEY ARE NOT PETS AND WILL ATTACK YOU IF YOU GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.