My Bulgaria: Forums

leedarkwood · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:41 am Post subject: The dog tax

I have now decided that what you need to survive in Bulgaria is a new attitude to paperwork. Why not regard it as a form of extreme sport, painful, frustrating, likely to cost you money, but WAY HAY what a buzz when you win your way through to the finish line!

So we start our latest saga with the following report from the sofia echo

Adopt-a-dog in Plovdiv from your computer
Tue, Feb 24 2009 12:31 CET
http://www.sofiaecho.com/2009/02/24/680412_adopt-a-dog-in-plovdiv-from-your-computer

"With Plovdiv's new website, it is now possible to browse options and choose a pet online. The city announced on February 24 2009 that the local pound, at the fifth km on Pazardjishko Chaussee, has been outfitted with a special webpage that shows all the available dogs of the moment.

Students from the European College for Economics and Management in Plovdiv prepared the photographs of and information about each of the dogs. The project came as part of their internship with the municipality's environmental protection directorate.

People desiring to adopt one of the animals are to pay six leva for a certificate of well being from the veterinarian (called a "passport" in Bulgarian) and an identification tag in its ear. Animals can be viewed Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 4pm. For more information, please contact Yordanka Daskalova, head expert of the environmental protection directorate, at 032/ 656 875.

In addition, Plovdiv city hall has announced that owners of pets are to pay their annual pet registration fee by the end of March. For the first year of registration, 20 leva tax is incremented – one-twelfth of the annual amount for each month until the end of the year, including the month that the dog was acquired.

Owners of seeing-eye dogs and other assistance dogs, dogs registered to firms, Red Cross dogs and hunting dogs are freed from the 20 leva fee. In addition, owners of neutered dogs are not required to pay the tax, and dogs with an identification microchip are non-taxed for the first year.

City hall said that just because a person's dog fell into one of the non-fee-paying categories did not mean that the owner was not required to register the animal."

Now I don't need any new dogs, I still have lots of wear on the two we have Very Happy

but I am interested in the dog registration tax. We asked about this when we moved here and were laughed out of the mayor's office. I have one spayed bitch, but how do I proof that is the case? She was operated on years before we got her. Both dogs are microchipped but I realise I haven't changed the paperwork on this, not sure I even know how to do that... So does anyone pay a dog tax?

Here is one website for Plovdiv dog shelter but I haven't found the one with photos.

www.plovdiv.bg/google-translate/Dogs-for-odomashnyavane

Lee

The link above does have some general photos if you scroll down, but not of each dog up for adoption. Mod Cool

DANNIA · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:58 am Post subject:

Hi Lee
when we first came in 2006 with our Staffie we had read aboutt he dog registration and we asked around and eventually the mayor gave us an A4 peice of paper and you had to put all the details of the dog, description, breed, and owners name and address.
We paid 5 leva and that was that.

The second dog we got I mentioned to the new mayor about doing it and she said no need, so we haven't and thats that I guess until a dog warden arrives demanding payment!

At least we can't say we didn't try

Nikki

mickw · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:57 pm Post subject:

Like most things it will take ages to filter down to the villages, but you can guarantee when it doe's that, they will be trying to impose fines for non payment of back taxes, in spite of no info on it.

Mick

scot47 · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:41 pm Post subject:

The Plovdıv Doggy Sıte shows to me that the locals are takıng steps to deal wıth the feral canıne problem. Better to cooperate wıth them rather that set up a 'Dogs For Expats' Charity !

Tiarnan · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:54 pm Post subject:

Ah, Scot47,
you,re being a bit unfair here. Its well known.......to themselves.....that ex pats know best in relation to all canine matters. Just imagine the thought that there may be some locals who would be able to "think canine". Wink

theweeton · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: The dog tax

I was really worried until I got to the bit about dogs registered to firms so if I ever sucome to the look of a brit bread puppys eyes I can have a company dog, feed it the best chicken and salmon write off some of my electric for heating and lighting to keep the animal in a manner to which it is accustomed and offset it against capital gains. Failing that I could get a sales invoice with an inflated price calling it a pedigree. I may even take it to the UK and far flung parts to broaden its education again writing everything off to taxes.

mariok · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject:

The dogs for adoption are here and there are some really cute dogs!

http://www.plovdiv.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=559&Itemid=578