In most European countries – particularly in the Balkans – it is not unusual to see stray dogs on the streets, especially in rural areas. Dogs and cats are part of the scenery. They generally spend their time roaming the area, looking for food or a place to curl up and shelter. However, these animals might indeed have a home to go to and an owner, except that owners may care little for their pet, and not want the additional responsibility, commitments and costs associated with keeping a family pet like a dog. For tourists, there is little anyone can do when they are only visiting Bulgaria for a short time. It is only when visitors are exposed to the open cruelty, which leads these dogs to roam the streets to survive that they are forced to confront a type of animal abuse that is relatively unheard of in their home country. Poorly nourished, neglected dogs being beaten or mistreated is not an uncommon sight, especially in Bulgaria’s rural areas. The dog as pet is not the same here as in other countries. There are no designer jewel-encrusted collars in Bulgaria; many owners cannot support themselves let alone a hungry dog, which might become pregnant and give birth to yet more hungry mouths. In countries like the United Kingdom, dogs are considered man’s best friend and they are subject to many treats and the highest care. However, animal cruelty exists in the UK, too, but there are many animal charities and tough laws to prevent this type of abuse. Therefore, it is easy to understand why so many expats who chose to live in Bulgaria adopt a stray dog. They cannot bear to see a poor, helpless animal with nowhere to go. Inevitably, many owners end up with more than just one stray – after all, there are more stray dogs than owners.

Joanne Donally had no intention of becoming a local saviour of stray dogs in Varna when she and her family moved here in 2004. Yet, in just four years Joanne has adopted 10 dogs. It was not intentional, but she – like many expats – cannot bear to see dogs being openly abused and mistreated. Joanne was forced to take action each time she saw defenceless puppies being beaten by their owners. For many in Bulgaria, Joanne’s decision to act is unusual because it is normal for Bulgarian owners to leave their dogs outside and let them fend for themselves. Joanne has collected her stray dogs and rescued them from situations where they were literally fighting for their lives. The dogs rarely live alone, bitches are hardly ever sterilised, which means that they have frequent litters. Of one particular incident Joanne says: “The puppies got to know me, and when I called for them, they would come running knowing I had food. Then one day I called and one of the pups was missing. I didn’t think anything of it, but the next day it happened again, so I thought I’ll take a walk round and discovered this little pup stuck behind a set of ladders with his side ripped wide open. He had been savagely attacked, so took him straight to the vet, and I found that he had been shot too. I paid for an operation to remove the bullet and stitch him up. He came home with me; after that as I was fearful it would happen again.”

Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union has also strengthened its resolve to address the problem of stray dogs, as it was one of the conditions of membership. The new law proposed that all female dogs be sterilised or owners purchase a licence from their local town hall each month from 2006. In practice, this law is hard to enforce and many believe the licence too cheap. When the cost of living for humans is low, animal care is not looked upon as a high priority. Even simple preventative measures like sterilisation can prove an unnecessary expense. Joanne admits to spending about 800 leva on each dog to bring it to a reasonable state of health. As many of Joanne’s neighbours do not speak English, she finds it hard to justify why she has so many dogs. It also makes it difficult to educate them to look after their own dogs better. She hopes to lead by her example and believes that dogs are only as good as their owners. “Dogs tend only to be aggressive when they feel threatened and use attack as a form of defence,” she says. Last year British expat Anne Gordon was killed in an attack by her Bulgarian neighbour’s dogs. This sad news has prompted the local government to take action and begin to change the way dogs behave in public. Some residents in Balchik municipality, both local and expat, have received a letter from their mayor’s office informing them that all dogs must be on leads when roaming outside the house. While it is a small gesture, it is seen as a positive start by locals. It might just prove the turning point to give dogs a better life.