The owner of the dog that killed a 5-year-old girl in Sushevo on Monday, Elena Bankova, kept a total of 21 dogs, the Mayor of Zavet municipality, Ahter Veliev, confirmed.

Veliev stated that Bankova kept 7 puppies and was also owner of the 14 older dogs that attacked the child in the village center. He added that the local Mayor’s office had received a report two weeks before the tragic incident regarding Bankova setting up an illegal shelter for dogs. The 14 older dogs have now been taken to a local council dog facility.

Veliev also said that the local police had given Bankova an oral warning not to allow the dogs out of her property. He concluded that the local municipality only had the right to impose an initial fine of between BGN 10 and BGN 200 on Bankova and he thus called for a change in the local dog-keeping laws.

The dogs bit the girl round the throat according to witnesses at around 10:00 Monday morning in the center of Sushevo, Razgrad Municipality..

The tragedy follows a number of incidents with stray dogs around Bulgaria this month. Last week in three different incidents in Bansko and Vratsa sheep dogs were to blame for mauling up to 5 people including 3 children - injuring them all seriously.

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