Study of the activities of the municipal dogs shelters in the city of Stara Zagora and Kazanlak before and after the COVID - 19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to study the activity of the municipal shelters for stray dogs in Kazanlak and Stara Zagora for the period 2014-2020 and to make proposals for controlling the stray dog populations. The object of the study is the Municipal Shelters for Stray Dogs in Stara Zagora and Kazanlak for the period 2014-2020. From the research done, it was found that in the Municipal shelter for stray dogs in the city of Stara Zagora, about 340 dogs are captured per year, and in 2020 (the year with restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic) there are only 267 dogs. For comparison, between 200 and 300 dogs are captured in the Municipal shelter for stray dogs in the city of Kazanlak. In 2018, a record number of 392 dogs were captured at this shelter. An analysis shows that a high percentage of captured dogs are subject to castration - up to 56% in Stara Zagora and approximately the same in Kazanlak, where, however, there are also campaigns for castration of yard dogs in the villages. The percentage of dogs returned to the streets in Stara Zagora is low from 6.7 to 36.8%, and in Kazanlak from 17 to 23.4%. As for the adopted animals, in Stara Zagora the results reached 77.2%, and in Kazanlak up to 44% of the captured animals.