This is a true but very sad story about British Dog owners and Bulgarian country folk with one loser at the end, the dog.
A British couple had set up their new dream home in a small remote village in the midst of farming people, very much like thousands of other villages scattered around the Bulgaria countryside. Livestock roaming the streets was common place in these types of areas, all calm, peaceful and living in harmony with the community system that worked.
Traditional ways of keeping dogs in Bulgaria are very different to that of British ways and this primarily was the heart of the problem. The British couple remained adamant that their dog should live with them very much in the British fashion. It was allowed to run around the countryside, live and sleep in the house and essentially be treated as part of the household. It would often be let out to roam free in the streets and fields outside the boundaries of farmhouse and grounds until not before long the sad sage began.
A elderly woman neighbour had called round to the house complaining that the dog had attacked and killed many chickens from her farm and blamed the British couple for letting the dog out to roan free. The matter was resolved simply by the old woman being compensated with money to replace the chickens and a promise from the British couple to not let the dog out in the future unsupervised.
The dog was now confined to within the boundaries of the grounds, still without being tethered or tied up. It was only a matter of time before the dog found escape routes with the massive area of land and continued began to chase and worry sheep, goats and poultry in the area. The Bulgarian owners had full justification to continue to complain but the British remained firm about how the dog should be allowed freedom regardless of the stress it was causing to local livestock. The dog was apparently obedient when the owners were there but not when they were absent.
Subsequently with the owners absence on other occasions, more local chickens were killed and more monetary compensation made but this really wasn't the way forward as far as the Bulgarian locals were concerned. They were living in fear of the next attack and the worrying was affecting the sheep and goats milk production and the British couple refused to accept that the dog was not under control in their absence.
There remained this insistence that the dog should continue to be unleashed at all times in their absence and no compromise was sought as they felt they were morally right in the way the dog should be brought up. No real regard was made to the loss of local Bulgarian livelihoods that were being caused by this dog. This couldn't carry on where there comes the part that brought the matter to an end.
The British owners were away again for a few days and on their return they found that the dog had been poisoned and lay dead on within their own grounds. The calculated consequence from the Bulgarians point was one less worry for them and their stocks now safe. From the British couple there was now bitterness and suspicion to many of their closest neighbours and the house is now up for sale for a move to another village.
The mayor and local policeman were approached regarding the matter with a shrug of the shoulder response, there was nothing they could or indeed would do about it!
The question is raised who is right and who is wrong added to which some might say was an inevitable end in Bulgaria.
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