On September 28, about 100 people - accompanied by their pets - staged a silent protest in front of Ivan Vazov national theatre in Sofia against the new amendments to the Condominium Act, which foresee that people who want to keep pets would have to get permission from their next-door neighbours.

At the beginning of September, civic group City for Responsible People started a petition against the draft law's provisions about pets. About 1800 new signatures were added to the petition on September 28. Parliament is expected to vote on the second reading of the Condominium Act amendments in autumn 2008.

The protesters held posters saying "No to the intervention of neighbours in our private lives", "Let us take care of the pets, they are friends of our children" and "Let's be humans, who love animals". Nadina Tosheva from the website www.park4pets.com said "We are not against the rules but we are sure that if this act is approved, it will in no way guarantee and contribute to the more responsible breeding of pets".

The protesters said that the proposed new clauses in the Condominium Act that restrict adopting pets contradict various international regulations, including UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights and Human Rights Charter, as well as the local Statutory Instruments Act, Protection Against Discrimination Act, Ownership Act and the Bulgarian constitution.

The regulations on taking care of domestic animals in Bulgaria are included in the Veterinary Practices Act and the Animal Protection Act, Bulgarian-language website Bluelink.net reported. The provisions of the two laws are strict enough and guarantee the well-being of animals, as well as people's interests.

According to art.6, par.1 in the draft Condominium Act, "Owners are obliged not to take care of animals in their own properties without the agreement of their immediate neighbours, excluding (pets) that who live in cages and aquariums". Decisions on permits for pet breeding would be taken by the general assembly of residents, grouped on the basis of their apartments being reached by a common entrance, where the person wanting to adopt a pet was resident.