THE NEUTER PROJECT 

Why castration and castration projects - especially in animal welfare?
 

In Bulgaria - as in other countries - street dogs and stray cats have been a big problem for many years. 
 

At that time, many people left their small houses and moved to the factories and collective farms for work. Their dogs and cats were not allowed to go with them and were left to fend for themselves. The survivors fended for themselves as best they could and multiplied freely.

Under communism stray dogs were culled twice a year by shooting them.  Hunters were given a bounty if they handed in the tail of a dog.  This was the norm and many people still remember this.  It also desensitised children and adults to the plight of unwanted dogs.

 

The importance of dogs for their owners is also still very practical:

- A dog is kept because it is a pedigree dog

- is needed as a working dog

- is a needed as guard dog

- Is kept on a chain as a "bell" (doorbell dog)
 

But all those who do not meet these expectations, are not purebred, are afraid, sick or pregnant. Are abandoned, poisoned or disposed of in other ways.
 

And we are not talking about "Rufus went to live at a nice farm", we mean that the poor dog was probably killed in a not so ethical manner.
 

Some find their survival niche on the street - are lucky to get food - but this resource is fiercely defended against any new dogs. 

Where small packs are formed, they can become dangerous. 
 

A large part of the Bulgarian population is very poor. 
Vet or even castration is unthinkable for them, because it is unaffordable.
 
In the rarest cases dogs live in the house and with an unwanted pregnancy either the highly pregnant bitch is abandoned, or the whole new litter. 

Puppies are given away at 5 weeks of age and in 90% of the cases they are put on a chain. 
 

Ingrown collars or chains are a terrible and frequent sight for the animal welfare workers. 
 

Puppies that no one adopts end up on the street. 
They have no chance to survive. But with a little loving care, many of them are wonderful family dogs that just can't find adopters in their country of birth. 
 

Those who have grown up with a western European education cannot look away.
 
So we often have many dogs arriving at LAR and only through adoption and donations we.can help these dogs.
 

We do not look away!
We rescue ! We neuter to break this cycle ! 
We need your support !