Dog attacks raise questions

In this week’s Buzz:

• Anyone know a qualified and experienced plumber in town?

• Information about recent Municipal Council meeting

• What’s going on with aggressive dogs in Bansko?

• Bulgarian Cabinet approves draft amendments to VAT Act

• Speak French as a native or a newbie? Join FrenchSpeak

• Bulgarian Air Force escorted three civilian aircraft following bomb threats

• Bansko considers creation of a local energy community

Recent incidents involving aggressive dogs have raised concerns, but people are often quick to jump to conclusions based on assumptions.

This week, Elena made a post on the notice board asking “What is going on with the aggressive dogs in Bansko?” You can read it here.

In her post, she says she witnessed 4 to 5 dogs attack and kill a cat outside her home and is now worried about whether these types of dogs could attack a child. She also pointed out that a friend now carries pepper spray when out because of a previous encounter with a dog, and she remembers a post about a poodle being attacked recently. (The poodle is the dog involved in issue #111 of the Buzz, which you can read here.)

Does that mean there are more recent incidents of dogs being aggressive in town?

That question isn’t the easiest to answer because not everyone will share their experience publicly.

So that leads to another question we can answer: Are there more posts about dog attacks and incidents with aggressive dogs than in previous years?

Not from what I can see: looking at groups and using some AI tools to search for public posts (obviously, I checked the pages/posts AIs referenced). Would that be considered accurate? Not 100%, because not everyone will post publicly about their experience, but if encounters increased, we’d probably see more posts overall. We haven’t.

When I looked into it, I noticed that most incidents over the last year or so have happened within the town’s limits. It used to be roughly a 60/40 split between outside and inside town (e.g., the fields with sheep dogs would be considered outside town, and anything within the town’s limits would be inside town). Recently, it’s flipped the other way: more inside the town’s limits.

And that flip is understandable: the number of people living in Bansko year-round has increased in recent years, and with that growth, there will also be more dogs and cats in town. More people and animals = more incidents in town.

Another key question with these types of incidents is: Are the aggressive dogs involved owned dogs or street dogs? That’s where it becomes interesting. Lots of people assume it will be a street dog: they’re homeless, some people don’t treat them very well, and they need to be territorial. And while I understand the sentiment, that’s not usually the case (well, not in Bansko). It’s pure speculation, and I’d challenge most people in Bansko to identify most of the dogs out on their own as either a streetie or an owned dog. Most wouldn’t know unless they actually know the individual dog.

I also wonder whether the municipality’s statement last year on unsupervised aggressive dogs (here) and the recent announcement about the dog census in November (which has had its start date delayed by a week) are just a box-ticking exercise in an effort to be “seen to be doing something” or whether action actually gets taken.

It’ll be interesting to see if things change in the future.

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Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 75 New Posts, 💬 351 Comments, 👍️ 1,891 Reactions

Are there any real plumbers in town who are experienced and qualified?
Samantha recently had a boiler installed, but it looks like the person she hired didn’t do a good job, and she’s looking for recommendations for someone to do the job properly.

The Kukeri’s anti-Halloween procession
I shared a video of the Kukeri’s anti-Halloween procession that they do each year on Halloween night. There were mixed opinions on it.

Is there a nail bar in Bansko?
Fiona is in Bansko and is looking for a manicure and a pedicure while she’s here. See which places people suggested to her.

I'm looking for information about the “Suvorov” restaurant and bathhouse
Андрей wanted information on Suvorov restaurant and bathhouse, which used to be across the road from the Guinness Hotel.

Bansko & Beyond

Bansko considers creation of a local energy community
The local municipality recently organised a series of workshops and meetings to explore local opportunities and identify the most appropriate steps toward establishing an energy community in Bansko. Read more. [Translation required.]

Municipal Council meeting minutes
The local municipal council met for its monthly meeting recently. The key points voted on were: €125,000 for the Snowboarding World Cup, €28,745 for emergency repairs in Dobrinishte's town park, a new permanent ethics committee to be established, €7,000 for solar equipment for the municipality's home-based social care service, an application for a livestock farm development near Osenovo was rejected, and approval of the sale of a small municipal ownership share to Edelweiss Boutique Hotel that will generate €11,294. Read more. [Translation required.]

Other news stories
Here are a handful of other news stories you may find interesting:

• Photos from Thursday’s search and rescue exercise on the mountain

• Bansko Municipality looks to expand town’s cemetery [Translation required.]

• Bulgaria’s Cabinet approves draft amendments to VAT Act

• Bulgarian Air Force escorted three civilian aircraft following bomb threats

• Bulgaria among EU countries hit by 50% food price surge in five years

• Bulgarian government sets 2027 minimum hourly rate to €3.98 (€660 a month), yet the living wage needed in Bulgaria is a lot higher at €1,080 a month

• Bulgarian Alphabet bill draws criticism over English sign changes

• NRA seeks tougher penalties for businesses failing to issue receipts

Recommended Businesses

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Shop online & receive packages delivered to Bansko with GGBG. Regular journeys from the UK, Germany and the USA to Bulgaria. See website for info.

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Events Next Week

Bansko Run Club
On Tuesday (10th), meeting at 6.30pm at Altspace Central location on Gotse Delchev Street, have a run with others around town, covering a distance of 5km and finishing up at a local bar. More info.

Service of Remembrance
On Wednesday (11th), the British Embassy Sofia has organised a joint Remembrance Day ceremony with the embassies of Ireland, Germany, Italy and France. This will take place at the Central Sofia Cemeteries and will start at 10.50am. More info.

New World Wine Tasting
On Thursday (12th), starting at 7pm, join for an evening of discovering great wine from Chile, New Zealand and Argentina, and the fascinating stories behind them. Taking place at DiVino on Glazne Street. Price €15 per person. More info.

Speak Bulgarian Social Club
On Friday (13th), starting at 6pm, Anita’s Art Studio is hosting their weekly Speak Bulgarian Social Club meetup at their place on Otets Paisiy Street. They offer a relaxed and friendly gathering with wine and interesting conversation. More info.

FrenchSpeak (French for native speakers and learners)
On Sunday (15th), from 4pm to 6pm at Anita’s Art Studio on Otets Paisiy Street, practice your French with others while drinking a glass of wine, eating some baked goods and playing a game or two in a casual, cozy setting. More info.

Bansko Film Fest
On Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22nd of November, the Bansko Film Fest returns to town (celebrating 25 years). This event brings people from different parts of Bulgaria and across Europe to enjoy independent films made about and on mountains all around the world. This year, the event is paid: tickets from €10. Tickets for Saturday 21st are now sold out. More info.

Organising an event in or around Bansko? Submit it for consideration here.

Photo of the Week

In memory of Pepi, “…you'll be missed Dalmatian horsie.”

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