Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Citizens demand fair punishment for man who tortured a street dog

Photo: BGNES

The court has permanently remanded in custody 37-year-old Zahari Shulev, accused of torturing a street dog. The court's decision was applauded by dozens of animal advocates who gathered at the courthouse an hour before the hearing. The judges reasoned their decision on the grounds that Shulev could be violent to another animal while at liberty

The man was detained after Animal Rescue Bulgaria, an animal protection NGO, posted on social media a security camera footage showing the man coaxing a dog with food and taking it with him. Hours later, he returns it with broken bones and slash wounds. The organisation posted the video after law enforcement authorities failed to respond to its tip-off for two weeks. Neighbors say this is not an isolated case for Shulev.

The ordeal of the street dog Mecho (Bear) in Sofia's Karpuzitsa neighborhood sparked a public outrage and a series of protests. According to the protesters, the law enforcement authorities do not pay attention to violence against animals, although according to Bulgarian legislation it is considered a crime, and this aggression can be transferred to humans.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The protest of Sofia's public transport workers will continue indefinitely

The protest of the workers in Sofia's public transport, which has blocked the capital since the morning, is still ongoing , the chairman of the Federation of Transport Unions in the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions Alexander Shopov told Radio..

published on 5/14/25 5:30 PM

63% of Bulgarians support the idea of ​​a referendum on the euro: Myara agency survey

The idea of ​​a referendum on the euro is supported by 63.3% of Bulgarians and 35.3% are "against". This is shown by an independent poll by the Myara sociological agency conducted in the period 10-13 May among 803 people and representing the opinions..

published on 5/14/25 4:57 PM

Rosen Zhelyazkov's cabinet with a vision for a 4-year term in office

The government’s program includes 100 priorities, distributed across 19 sectors, with a vision for a full four-year term. This was announced by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, who presented a report on what the government has achieved so far under its..

published on 5/14/25 3:14 PM