Over the past years, many of the wolf's prey species have been subject to intensive hunting pressure in Bulgaria. This resulted in a continuous increase in the number of livestock falling prey to wolves. Instead of protecting their herds from attacks, the farmers' reaction was to shoot the wolves or even to poison or trap them. However, there is a traditional, effective, and cheap means of protecting sheep and cattle herds: The Karakatchans, a particularly big and strong breed of dog, stand up to wolves. Since the Karakatchans have increasingly been crossed with other sheepdog breeds over recent years there is a real danger of this breed becoming extinct. As it turns out, the particular abilities which make the Karakatchans so valuable are mostly lost in the crosses. A survey conducted by EuroNatur's Bulgarian partners revealed that there are a number of shepherds who would be interested in working with the Karakatchans. The shepherds are given young dogs, an introductory course in their training, and long-term support. The experiences gained with this cooperation between shepherds and conservationists is important in helping other shepherds and in turn also the wolves. Only if wolf and man can coexist will the wolves' persecution come to a halt.