First topic message reminder :

Recently our neighbour's guard dog got loose and for some reason decided to enter our land. My Xera went into protective mode and tried to chase her out. The guard dog is a big karakachan mix and not socialised. I heard this terrible screaming coming from the garden and rushed out to see the most terrifying sight of the two of them locked in battle with my smaller Dalmation getting the worst of it with her hind leg in the Karakachan's mouth. I screamed and screamed and the guard dog ran away. I screamed again for the owner who didn't seem to be around. I should think half the village heard me.
Poor Xera was bravely limping to the gate determined to see her off and my Hero was there by this time. He said she was alright but I knew the injuries were quite serious. Her tail was bloody as was her back leg and her mouth. I called the vet (Eclipse in VT) and they came immediately. She was badly hurt and needed a painkilling injection before they could do anything. She had several bad bite wounds but thankfully no broken leg which she couldn't put to the ground. They wouldn't stitch the open wounds because that would seal in any infection, but kept bathing them with antiseptic. Thankfully they said she would be okay but gave her several injections and pills to stop the pain and antibiotics for the next 10 days.
She is now an indoor dog and recovering well and I can't praise the vets too much. There were two of them, a man and lady who come annually to administer her rabies jabs. They came so quickly and reassured me that all would be well because Xera is a lovely dog with lovely owners!!!! I was told to telephone her progress every day and to phone if anything seemed amiss.
The cost was a very reasonable 75levs which included their transport and pills. However, the neighbour who owns the guard dog has said he will pay the bill for us. I guess he doesn't want us reporting the incident to the Mayor who would immediately shoot a dangerous dog out of control. Apparently she had got off her chain and the owner's son was not being diligent enough!
Oh well, all's well that ends well and I can't blame a dog which is trained to guard the owner's animals. We Brits may not always understand the Bulgarians attitude to animals but in their way they often do.
On TV news this morning Bulgarians were helping a deer and a fox off a frozen lake rather than killing them. Bravo!

Rakiaplease wrote:

Quote :

arranged dog fights still continue here in Bg

I would urge anyone to report these to the authorities. If I expressed the repulsion I feel for the scum who get involved in such 'sport', it would be deleted from here, and my membership withdrawn.

With you there!

Rakiaplease wrote:

Quote :

arranged dog fights still continue here in Bg

I would urge anyone to report these to the authorities. If I expressed the repulsion I feel for the scum who get involved in such 'sport', it would be deleted from here, and my membership withdrawn.

Yes I agree with you. We have just saved a kitten that is probably about 7 or 8 weeks that was collapsed in the snow and in a real bad state. Another hour in the snow and it would have been dead, we are hoping for the best for it.

I am glad your dog has recovered.

Just out of curiousity, have you seen the other dog at all since?

Yes it still lives next door chained up but there are several other dogs that bark at us when we go out but are not vicious and go out with the goats. The owner still has not paid the vet fees. He has about 200 goats which are illegal in a village and the police made him move them but they are now back. We could threaten him over this because it would probably mean a prison sentence now but we want to live in harmony and not cause problems. This doesn't mean we are pussycats but after so many years we now understand how systems work and problems dealt with. Our interests are looked after in the village so we play the waiting game.

Thank you.

I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the dog which attacked yours, and am surprised and pleased it is still alive. I feared the dog would be punished (as if being chained isn't punishment enough) along the lines of the following story.

At the end of November, we were contacted by a local resident who had found an English Setter dumped outside his work. He knew the Setter because it belonged to a hunting friend of his. The poor creature weighed 11 kgs instead of a healthy 22 kgs;
could not walk and could not chew. She had not been fed properly and when she started to eat a bird on a shoot, her owner decided to lock her away and systematically starve her to death. How she actually came to be dumped outside the man's work and why we do not know.

He was in a state of shock when he met Margo at the vets. He paid for her initial treatment and some food. She is now in a foster placement in Central Bulgaria where she has just been diagnosed with very early kidney problems which we are hoping to control with diet and supplements.

Sometimes, Margo is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Report to police under the very strict Bulgarian Animal Welfare legislation and risk alienating the man who saved the Setter and risk him telling his friends in future not to get involved? Take the money from her meagre food budget to instruct legal advice? Bring the wrath of any authority figure who may "
owe a favour"
or have a "
vested interest"
down on her and the sanctuary? Or wait for an opportune moment and Karma?

One thing is clear though, there just are not the safeguards in place in Bulgaria as there are in the UK for people who are trying to do the right thing.

I live in a semi-rural area of the Midlands and was shocked to find out recently that dog fighting is still going on here and allegedly on the increase.

Related to an incident of someone raising money from overseas on the back of saving fighting dogs in Bulgaria and the scam being blown open, I was discussing dog fighting in Bulgaria with Margo only recently.

It does still go on. Unfortunately, it is such a big money maker, that some officials are involved to supplement their pitiful incomes as state employees.

No doubt as the years go on, and the spotlight on some of their practices continues, the Bulgarians will learn to hide the dog fighting better - just as those who wish to, have learnt the art in England.

Whatever anyone may think of the RSPCA, at least they are somewhere to go to, to report incidents and they have the power and funds to take these matters to court - effectively putting a barrier between the individual who finds the fights abhorrent and the perpetrators.

The dog in question is fed', as are all the neighbours other dogs although not as we would like. You are right, it is not the dogs fault and has been reared to protect its property.The lead just gave way. Why it came into our garden is a mystery and our dog just fought back to protect its territory. Its the owner at fault for not securing his dog or his gate. Our gate was not locked and it must have pushed its way in so in a way, we were at fault although if we had been taking Xera for a walk it would have been just as bad if not worse, because at least the dog ran off when I screamed at it because it knew it shouldn't be on Xera''s territory.
Reporting to the police in Bulgaria is a very last resort. If we reported it to the Mayor the dog would likely be shot. The villagers sympathise with our situation but I really think that we have respect for dealing with the matter ourselves. The owner will pay eventually but its another little game ploy.
No doubt there will be others who will say we are too soft on such an issue, but Its better to rely on Karma and goodwill rather than make a fuss. We are foreigners at the end of the day even after 9 years here and in our village generally speaking animals are well looked after.

oldun wrote:

No doubt there will be others who will say we are too soft on such an issue, but Its better to rely on Karma and goodwill rather than make a fuss. We are foreigners at the end of the day even after 9 years here and in our village generally speaking animals are well looked after.

Not from this quarter you won't. Sometimes, you have to find other ways of dealing with issues and look at the bigger picture. I am starting to understand that old saying which my parents rammed down my throat "
patience is a virtue"
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Indeed it is in Bulgaria! Have just decided to barter - how Bulgarian is that? Some chickens (two of ours killed by a pine marten recently) and some cubics of wood ready for next winter! Job sorted.

That is exactly how things are done over here..as you well know. It's all very well to rabbit on about how things are done elsewhere or what department would do this or that, but when it comes down to the bottom line, local people deal with local problems in the traditional way and whether we agree with the system or not, is not going to change things anytime soon. That's not say that I don't agree with the sentiments expressed by the folks who posted on here regarding what they feel about dog fighting, animal neglect etc, because I do!

bgbazz wrote:

That is exactly how things are done over here..as you well know. It's all very well to rabbit on about how things are done elsewhere or what department would do this or that, but when it comes down to the bottom line, local people deal with local problems in the traditional way and whether we agree with the system or not, is not going to change things anytime soon. That's not say that I don't agree with the sentiments expressed by the folks who posted on here regarding what they feel about dog fighting, animal neglect etc, because I do!

Sorry if you have perceived my observations as "
rabbiting"
and provoked this outburst.

Is there some sort of forum rule that I am not allowed to compare and contrast?

No, my friend, I'm sorry that you saw my comments as an 'outburst'! Using your question regarding comparing and contrasting views..am I not allowed the same?

Now now boys - lets be fair. It was Davshaz who mentioned dog-fighting as a sport followed by Rakiaplease and Itchyfeet who went off topic. I think that its best to put it to bed. I am happy with the outcome. Xera is back to her old self and our neighbour and ourselves have kept a civilized relationship.
There are many things that we Brits find strange or distasteful over here but its possible to live with them because we have, after all, chosen our new life. We have to forget how things work in Britain although it is difficult to accept sometimes. Pax