Via Pontica joins calls for immediate action against animal cruelty

On 4 November 2026, hundreds of people gathered outside the National Assembly in Sofia to protest against animal cruelty. The protest followed the death of Knopa, a Yorkshire terrier, on 1 November in Sofia’s Krastova Vada neighbourhood. A charge has been brought in the case. On 4 November, the Sofia District Court ordered the accused to remain in custody. Protesters called for justice and a meaningful change in how public authorities respond to crimes against animals.

Via Pontica Foundation shares the protesters’ concerns and supports their calls for action. Similar tragedies have brought people to the National Assembly before. Authorities have promised change, but those promises have yet to be fully carried out.

On 10 April 2025, at the initiative of Ina Agafonova, Via Pontica’s representative on Bulgaria’s Economic and Social Council (ESC), the Council unanimously adopted a Declaration on Violence Against Animals (in Bulgarian). The Council expressed deep concern about the increasing number of cases of animal cruelty, described them as serious violations of legal, ethical and moral standards, and urged the authorities to take immediate and decisive action, including pursuing justice through fair sentences for those found guilty. The Council called on the National Assembly to consider and adopt the proposed tougher penalties promptly, including for acts filmed for distribution. It also called for stronger oversight of how the Criminal Code was applied.

Ina Agafonova, founder of Via Pontica Foundation and a civil society representative on the ESC, said that the declaration was a clear signal to the authorities that society would not tolerate impunity. She added that the protest showed that the message had yet to be fully heard.

In July 2025, the National Assembly amended the Criminal Code to increase penalties for animal cruelty and provide for tougher penalties when an offence is filmed for distribution. The protest raises the question of how consistently these provisions are enforced. Each new case underlines the need for effective investigations and timely action by the relevant authorities.

Via Pontica Foundation reiterates its support for:

• The citizens who gathered outside the National Assembly and everyone working to ensure animals are treated humanely in Bulgaria.
• Consistent enforcement of the Criminal Code provisions on crimes against animals adopted in 2025.
• Effective oversight of investigations and prosecutions, so that sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences.
• Sustained action by public authorities to follow through on the commitments they make after each protest.

As the ESC’s 2025 declaration reminds us, our responsibility towards animals is a responsibility to ourselves and to our shared humanity. Via Pontica will continue to follow the issue through its work on the Council and will press for public authorities to keep it on their agenda and turn their commitments into action.

Illustrative photo: Juliane Monari / Pexels.