What People Will Do to Save a Dog in Romania

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Editor's note: This article deals with a situation that has been strictly kept secret for some time. These testimonies are from people who are brave enough to announce this information—as well as their own identities—to the public, in the hopes of making a difference. Let's hope it was worth it for them.

April 25, 2001 Bucharest, Romania

Iulia Rauta has no funding, nor is she affiliated with any animal welfare organization, but inside her small Bucharest apartment, she is hiding at least four dogs and a cat, in addition to the street-dogs she feeds regularly.

These animals are all healthy, spayed/neutered and friendly, but like all 250,000 Bucharest strays and countless others in surrounding municipalities, they are being systematically exterminated. Iulia has indicated that the authorities have now forbidden citizens from adopting animals, and the only hope rests in getting these dogs across Romanian borders.

In an urgent letter she sent to The Scoop, she wrote:

I have 4 dogs neutered and healthy for give from adoption outside of country if someone who loves dogs want them, and I think that will save almost all the dogs by adoption like this.

...By today were killed 100 dogs by day in each shelter of government, which means 600 for day. They don't allow the representative of newspaper and advertising to see them making the euthanasia. They make the euthanasia with unknown solutions and unapproved solutions by the physicians.

(Write to Iulia at iulia.rauta@digi.ro.)

Her statement has been corroborated by Ms. Anca Tomescu of the Austrian group Vier Pfoten (Four Paws), who says the animals are being injected in the heart with magnesium sulphate (epsom salts; sulfuric acid, magnesium salt) and die within 30 minutes "in terrible torture." She says sometimes the injections miss the heart causing further agony.

And Dr. Adrian Victor Sufaru, president of the Children and Animals Foundation in Bucharest affirms, "Today, the killings of the poor animals are performed, the numbers are unknown, because the City Hall forbids the presence of any intruders."

Editor's note: Dr. Sufaru and his colleagues have prepared an excellent report, which we have published in its entirety. Click here to learn the facts and statistics of this situation.

The situation is coming to a rapid boil with both citizens and government officials in Romania taking stands. This week, amid the violent controversy, Bucharest's Chief Veterinarian and Head of City Animal Hygeine, Razvan Tiru left office along with several other members.

They refused to kill 10 healthy dogs, by order of Mayor Traian Basescu.

The Scoop had contacted Mayor Basescu this weekend, and the mayor seemed very willing to prepare for us his comments and other details regarding the official action. But since then, his administration, his office and home have been flooded with protests of impassioned citizens and even fellow politicians.

The Romanian President, Ion Iliescu, who generally avoids interfering in municipal policy, telephoned the mayor to urge him to rethink.

The Prime Minister, Adrian Nastase, has openly condemned the plan.

But Mayor Basescu, faced with perhaps a more persuasive mass of pro-killing Romanians, has remained firm in his policy, stating, "No protest by animal foundations and politicians will make me stop the plan to kill stray dogs."

It seems that many people of Romania as well are infuriated at the idea of city funds being spent on dogs (read the statistics in the report made by Dr. Sufaru). These people constitute a large number of animal abusers in the city. There are no animal cruelty laws whatsoever, which leads to the situation, as Iulia describes:

Dogs are killed by the drunk gypsies paid by the mayor who inject the solutions just in the heart of the dogs.

As we saw this, another message came to us from Adina Gradea of the organization ANIMA in Tulcea, Romania:

Last minute news:
Basescu ordered the dogs to be "euthanized" on spot as they are catched [in order to save money]. We are all horrified. Please give us a solution!!!!!

Adina also wrote to tell us that the massacre, if continued in Bucharest, will encourage other cities to imitate:

...the worse problem is arising in the other towns of Romania... For instance, in Tulcea the "extermination" of the stray dogs is delayed because the mayor has no money in the budget to buy POISON. It's too expensive. What do you think about that?

The Scoop is requesting support from its patron organization, CANINE NATION, to coordinate and assist the individuals involved in rescue efforts. Please check here for updates.

In the meantime, please contact these people who are taking considerable risks in making their identities known. They deserve more support and encouragement than we can possibly offer:

Iulia Rauta

Adina Gradea (ANIMA)

Dr. Adrian Victor Sufaru (C & A Foundation)

Anca Tomescu(Vier Pfoten)English Translation

Animaux Sans Frontiers, Belgium