Report		Interview		Newsletter
	Monitor Daily, July 14 2004 Gergana Kostova speaks with Emil Kuzmanov Q: "Mr. Kuzmanov, what ways you are suggesting for tackling the problem with the excessive number of stray cats and dogs and what are the EU’s requirements to this matter of Bulgaria?" A: "Not long ago I’ve became aware that one of the requirements towards the three accessional EU candidates: Bulgaria, Rumania and Turkey is to implement measures competitive to The Regulation N:998/2003 of The European Commission (which deals with ID, registration, curbing animal movements and therefor their reproduction). And that means taking concrete action with achieving concrete results, not just signing some "fancy" formal documents." Q: "When this ordinance has to be implemented in Bulgaria?" A: "Well, you’ve just put your finger on the problem and that’s why I’ve approached you. Firstly, for the last seven months I’ve been suggesting action to be taken from our respected to this matter departments. But, they’ve pretended that they’ve never heard of such requirements toward our country. What I’m afraid of is that some dose "technical" and so much of "red tape" period will pass before such an instruction is passed down the line, plus still extra time will be needed for the implementation of it. So, no wonder if during 2007-2008 we will find ourselves with no veterinarian measures undertaken nor motivation among the poorly informed and uneducated according to EU’s good practice in this matter "pet-lovers". Therefor I keep on calling for importing and implementing the European Commission's Regulation, so it can take and show an effect on time for our accession’s date." Q: "What has to be done, so we can fulfil the EU’s requirements?" A: "There are basically three fundamental things need to be done for the population control outlined in the European Council's EUROPEAN CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF PET ANIMALS: Creating of single national register and identification system for the cats and the dogs"; Creating of info-educational programs for the pet-owners; Last but not least a functional sterilization program. (The capacity of Sofia’s sterilization program is of 1000 strayed dogs annually, meanwhile huge number of home and backyard female cats and dogs are giving birth freely and steadily)." Q: "What departments you’ve contacted so far?" A: "First I’ve contacted The minister of Agriculture because they handle the veterinary control. I’ve received vary unsatisfactory answers. Then I’ve wrote to The Minister of Finances cause the uncontrolled pet-market is obviously feeding an illicit trade of a kind. I’d say, their Intelligence Unit ought to focus itself on it too." Q: "What do you mean by "an illicit trade of a kind", an animal traffic or what?" A: "In an average First World Western country the cat living next door is known of when is giving birth and what’s to become of its litter. In Bulgaria these things go unaccounted for and no one knows what’s to become of the little ones. Half of the cat’s population is female and is reproducing constantly. The illicit trade is fed by the ever increasing control-free animal growth. There are hundreds of thousand born each year, which in October/November are quietly disappearing. Here we are talking about unlawful trapping, poaching (e.g. illicit harvesting). In the EU and USA the cat and dog overpopulation is being collected in shelters so their number is publicly known and well accounted for. The published statistics of their killing influences somehow pet owners and public at large and evokes their humane approach to all animal matters." Q: "You’ve been talking of EU and The Western World. What is the situation in Bulgaria?" A: "Here everything is hidden from the public’ eye. The animals are freely multiplying and people feed them all. As little as they know turning them into cheep "mouth-watering commodity". Then they disappear. No one keeps count and the public is unaware of what’s going on." Q: "Are you trying to say that organized groups of some kind are "dog-napping" and trafficking"? A: "Oh yes, and not only the stray ones. There are cases of abduction of house animals too. Here you may ask what happens to the abducted cats and dogs from people’s yards, ha? They sure are not to be kept as pets, aren’t they, ha!" Q: "Well, according to you, what happens to them further down the line" A: "I can’t say what for sure. But I’m aware that there is such a "market" in the world and what people here are readily shy talking of. For example: US (of 200mil. Pop. statistics of the 70’s) shows that nearly 285,000 cats and dogs yearly had been used in laboratories of pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Well, the EU is twice as large now. See if you can calculate or figured it out! And furthermore the export of cat’s and dog’ pelts from Far East presented and claimed as of Asian wolf or wild cats used also in making some toys and as an upholstery in the auto-industry. The later is according to the Royal SPCA. Some people say that Vietnam, China and Korea are exporting dog’s leather and pelt cause they normally eat them. But I say, we Bulgarians are exporting them too, because we heavy breed and raise them wild. The question isn’t why is someone exporting such a ‘raw material’. The big question is why is someone breeding pet animals on one’s territory, OK! The problem in Bulgaria with it’s huge overpopulation of pets is a well-known fact, and that’s why is so obvious that we take an active part in this traffic." Q: "Where to?" A: "No idea! But this particular case was so strong in Europe and America, so that in 2000 US enacted a law prohibiting import and trade of goods made out of cats and dogs on its territory. A year later Italy implements a similar to the US Act one; I’d say probably other countries have done the same. But here is so obvious that there is such a market, and of course big supply and demand." Q: "Mr. Kuzmanov, what kind of quantity you are talking about?" A: "There is a data of 2 mil. pelts exported from the Far East. Let’s take UK for instance: In their publicized statistics we find 8mil. registered cats and 6.5mil. registered dogs all with passports. That makes it over 20% of the human population (in other wards, to every 4-5people there is a an animal). So right here we can easily assume that the animals in Bulgaria are from about 1.5 to 2mil. On top of all that, each one is contributing somehow to their total growth. Here is why I say that such a number is disappearing in an illicit and criminal way. And of course that thing goes all organized from years. This is one "raw material" being "mined" without any initial investments. Yes ma'am, an investment-free industry, ha!" Q: "Are our animal shelters help and what’s the world’ practice?" A: "The notorious shelter in "Lozenets", Sofia city was build just for a showcase of a kind, but also there were a lot of mischief-makings went on in it. Everyone says that the animals in there were being mercilessly killed. There is a paparazzo flick taken of how the animals were being clubbed to dead. There is also an other film taken of how the dog’s remains were taken out and being loaded on trucks. What I’d say is that the vet had sedated the animals a half an hour or so in advance. What I’m talking about is of healthy and well of 30-35kgs dogs, which after that have been taken to unknown location; and for sure not towards the Plovdiv city’s incinerator. All the lost or strayed animals abroad are being collected of the streets and kept in animal shelters for at least 8days and if no one claims or adapts them in that period, they are being put to sleep in humanly manner. The US statistics show that out of every 100dogs landed in shelters, 44 are being re-homed. The society is made aware of what’s to happen to the abandoned ones, thus for there is an aroused public concern. Right here the situation is quite different. What is a pet for 2mil. Bulgarian lovers for the mob and bureaucrats alike is just a "commodity" what obviously is a MARKET for."