| The APF finds a serious potential for progress in the cultivation of the traditional kind interest of the Bulgarian people in animals. For the moment we are wholly concentrated on the problem with the excessive pet breeding in the households, impulsive acquiring of kittens and puppies and unrestricted movements of animals. The purpose of our initiative is to provoke and assist the long-term solution and swiftly curb this trend. The APF found the most prominent historical example of managing with such crisis in the progress of the USA in this area since 1970. In Sofia where the populations are unusually inconstant we intend to undertake a concrete steps in order to stabilize the population shift: (1) Launching an Info-educational program. The objectives are to heighten the morality and community awareness about the plight of the grownup animals; popularizing re-homing, early-aged/timely sterilization and registration. (2) Collection of abandoned and lost animals by no-kill sheltering and foster-homes; sterilization of the abandoned animals; rehoming. The objectives are to restrict the pet movements and abuse; to heighten the acquiring of sterilized animals; to discourage the habitual amateur breeding. (3) Aiding owners with an easy access to a quality, prompt and low-cost services: sterilization, marking, registration. The objectives are to increase the prevalence of the sterilized animals, by establishing practice of early-aged/timely sterilization; surveying movement of owned animals. The introduction of our initiative has to be taken as a serious pilot project. The chances of government institutions doing something right about it in the next few years looks ever so meager. Furthermore, the animal owners and sosiety as whole has been shaped for years by the government, journalists and so-called "nature defenders" (popular SPCAs) discussing only the situation concerning the "street-dog population" in Sofia and the amendment of an Animal Protection Act. Thus far nothing much has been reach in right direction by anyone, and the process in their integrity stays neglected. |
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