In the US, dogs are treated much the same as in Bulgaria. Strays are taken to the public shelter, and if they're not adopted, they are put to sleep. On the other hand, we don't have packs of strays running around either. One thing we do have is a community of vets and others who run private shelters in which unwanted dogs are not euthanized. These shelters take care of these dogs for as long as they can. When one adopts a dog here in Buffalo, you are expected to contribute money to the shelter as a means to keep the enterprise running. Otherwise, you can adopt a dog for free at the public shelter.