Sofia municipality announced plans to build one or two shelters for stray dogs by the end of 2009, which will allow a gradual pullout of the animals off the streets until they are entirely "cleaned up" by 2011, Miroslav Naidenov, head of the municipal company Ecoravnovesie told Focus news agency on January 12 2009.

Naidenov has underlined the fact that there was only one municipal shelter in operation, in the Sofia borough of Seslavtsi, where 4500 dogs had been spayed and neutered. The veterinarian has said that the stray dog population in Sofia was under control with no possible increase of the numbers.

The management of Mladost, Podouyane and Nadezhda districts, which cover vast boroughs in Sofia, have found land plots where more shelters could be built.

Naidenov has said that if the stray dogs were being "collected" in one particular region, new packs would immediately settle there. First, it was necessary to begin with pullout of all animals roaming around kindergartens, hospitals and schools. After some additional shelters were built, the municipality expects to clean the capital's streets of stray dogs by 2011, Naidenov has said.

A private shelter in Slatina borough, housing 100 dogs, was opened in June 2008. It was financed by German foundation Tierhilfe Süden, which has operated in Bulgaria for the past 12 years, under the name Vtori Shans (Second Chance).

According to Naidenov, there were less than 10000 stray dogs in Sofia.