Three large sheepdogs attacked a mother and her 7-year-old daughter in the village of Erkech, in Burgas municipality, last weekend, according to a complaint from the mother.
The two were on a family walk in the mountain village, also known as Kozichino. The mother says she chose it because of happy memories there and wanted to show it to her daughter.
The dogs ran at them inside the village, not in a pasture outside it. A flock of sheep was roaming freely nearby. The mother says she did not go near the animals on purpose.
She led the child to the car, but the dogs kept circling it. The two got in and drove away. The complaint does not mention any injuries, but the child is badly frightened.
The mother thought about calling 112. She says a local man she told about the incident replied that this is almost an everyday thing in the village, and that the mayor also has a flock with several sheepdogs that roam freely. The complaint includes no response from the mayor.
The mother believes it could have ended in serious harm. She says the most worrying part is that it happened where residents, visitors and families with small children pass, and where elderly people and tourists also walk the streets.
She asks whether this is normal and whether anyone will keep the dogs under control. In her view, it is not normal to let large, aggressive dogs run free, because it could lead to a terrible incident.
Guard dogs have a role in raising livestock in mountain areas, but owners and those who tend the flocks must keep them under control.
The mother wants police and other authorities to find out who owns the animals, whether anyone watches them when the flock passes through the streets of Erkech, and whether such cases really happen regularly.