The city of Ploiesti sets a precedent,
two years since the introduction of the 'Slaughter Law', as the first and only city in the entire country to deal in a humane and effective manner with their surplus dog population by implementing a C-N-R- program!
January 25, 2016 - Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania, some 56 km north of Bucharest. With some 224.000 people living within the city of Ploiești, it is the 9th most populous city in Romania. According to the "Guide Michelin", Ploiesti is Romania's "Dallas", has museums, charming hotels and fancy restaurants. Also, it has direct access to the Prahova Valley, one of the most important alpine tourism areas in Romania, and the Teleajen Valley through the Carpathians linking it to Brasov.
According to Romania's animal activists and local animal protection groups, Ploiesti has a reputation of being one of the worst places in Romania to be born as a dog. At least until very recently.
The indescribable mistreatment of Ploiesti's homeless dogs, both on the streets and in the infamous public "shelter" of Bucov, was no secret to anyone, with stories of mass-poisonings, mass-captures, and mass-killings making headlines in the local media and the Local TV that reported on protests against the administration, the mysterious deaths of the dogs and the grim reality of starving dogs having no alternative but to eat one another... Such was the severity of this horror that this news even travelled across Europe and was described in the mainstream press with an article by Dr Rita Pal, published on 25th of September, 2013 in the Huffington Post.
Ploiesti was one of the cities in Romania where there were many conflicts between animal activists and the 'Stray Dog Public Service' because of many reasons, including the illegal methods for capturing, the direly inadequate sheltering conditions, the illegal killings and the restrictions of public shelter access.
In 2010, FNPA requested the Sanitary Veterinary Direction to close the public "shelter" and informed the Police to investigate the situation. The extreme adverse conditions, of both shelter and dogs, caused NGOs from abroad to provide physical assistance in the public shelter and provide food, treatments, sterilizations, etc. In 2012, ADOR in collaboration with FNPA, started the campaign for approaching a humane and effective strategy.
In early March 2015, Iulian Badescu, the then-mayor of Ploiesti, had to resign office while awaiting trial in a bribery and abuse of office case. He was arrested after being detained by DNA in the Yellow Wolves case regarding the financing of the Petrolul football team with Municipality funds. The anti-corruption prosecutors suspected that the Municipality allocated approximately EUR 3 Mio to the Yellow Wolves Association and that part of that money was paid to Petrolul Ploiesti footballers as premiums for their performance in the 2012-2013 season.
Since then, things have changed in Ploesti with the Vice-Mayor, Mr Cristian Mihai Ganea, being assigned with the duties of Mayor, including the management of the city's homeless dogs.
According to Romania's animal activists and local animal protection groups, Ploiesti has a reputation of being one of the worst places in Romania to be born as a dog. At least until very recently.
The indescribable mistreatment of Ploiesti's homeless dogs, both on the streets and in the infamous public "shelter" of Bucov, was no secret to anyone, with stories of mass-poisonings, mass-captures, and mass-killings making headlines in the local media and the Local TV that reported on protests against the administration, the mysterious deaths of the dogs and the grim reality of starving dogs having no alternative but to eat one another... Such was the severity of this horror that this news even travelled across Europe and was described in the mainstream press with an article by Dr Rita Pal, published on 25th of September, 2013 in the Huffington Post.
Ploiesti was one of the cities in Romania where there were many conflicts between animal activists and the 'Stray Dog Public Service' because of many reasons, including the illegal methods for capturing, the direly inadequate sheltering conditions, the illegal killings and the restrictions of public shelter access.
In 2010, FNPA requested the Sanitary Veterinary Direction to close the public "shelter" and informed the Police to investigate the situation. The extreme adverse conditions, of both shelter and dogs, caused NGOs from abroad to provide physical assistance in the public shelter and provide food, treatments, sterilizations, etc. In 2012, ADOR in collaboration with FNPA, started the campaign for approaching a humane and effective strategy.
In early March 2015, Iulian Badescu, the then-mayor of Ploiesti, had to resign office while awaiting trial in a bribery and abuse of office case. He was arrested after being detained by DNA in the Yellow Wolves case regarding the financing of the Petrolul football team with Municipality funds. The anti-corruption prosecutors suspected that the Municipality allocated approximately EUR 3 Mio to the Yellow Wolves Association and that part of that money was paid to Petrolul Ploiesti footballers as premiums for their performance in the 2012-2013 season.
Since then, things have changed in Ploesti with the Vice-Mayor, Mr Cristian Mihai Ganea, being assigned with the duties of Mayor, including the management of the city's homeless dogs.
Back in 2013 already, the 'Alliance for Human Rights from Romania' (ADOR) initiated and developed an advocacy and lobbying campaign entitled "No dogs on the streets - by ethics and reason" and introduced a draft of a Council Decision to promote and adopt in the local council. Unfortunately, the proposal had been changed to the detriment of the animals, and was therefore put on standby until the negotiations resumed.
What followed, starting with the tragic death of the young boy, Ionut Anghel, whose lifeless body was found on a private property on September 4, 2013, is known to all. Romania's recent history is synonymous with the mass slaughter of a few hundreds of thousands of free-roaming dogs, without or without owner often making no difference to the dog catchers for whom each dog caught stands for good money made. In Romania, we are witnessing a massacre of dogs that will last for years to come with attendant impact on both the country’s tourism, and the psychological damage to its children caused by exposure, and encouragement of legitimised aggression.
World authorities have long advocated a humane, effective methodology for solving the problem of a surplus dog population. According to 'International Best Practice', animals are to be taken from the streets, sterilized, vaccinated, registered and returned back to the streets to occupy the same food habitats where they had previously been removed from, and in the majority of cases, be commonly cared for as ‘community dogs’ until the effects of the sterilisation program result in a significant reduction of numbers.
What followed, starting with the tragic death of the young boy, Ionut Anghel, whose lifeless body was found on a private property on September 4, 2013, is known to all. Romania's recent history is synonymous with the mass slaughter of a few hundreds of thousands of free-roaming dogs, without or without owner often making no difference to the dog catchers for whom each dog caught stands for good money made. In Romania, we are witnessing a massacre of dogs that will last for years to come with attendant impact on both the country’s tourism, and the psychological damage to its children caused by exposure, and encouragement of legitimised aggression.
World authorities have long advocated a humane, effective methodology for solving the problem of a surplus dog population. According to 'International Best Practice', animals are to be taken from the streets, sterilized, vaccinated, registered and returned back to the streets to occupy the same food habitats where they had previously been removed from, and in the majority of cases, be commonly cared for as ‘community dogs’ until the effects of the sterilisation program result in a significant reduction of numbers.
This is the approved methodology, so WHY NOT in Romania?
The answer is: BECAUSE IT IS BIG BUSINESS!
A “Catch & Kill" policy as currently practiced in Romania will not work because it is aimed at the wrong target. Stray, feral dogs are not the source of the problem. The dog flourishes only in the company of human beings; accordingly, feral dogs are the least reproductively successful. In contrast, the offspring of kept or owned dogs (whether family dogs or neighbourhood dogs) often survive. The latter are the source of the next generation of unsupervised “street” dogs.
According to our calculations, the technical cost of “Catch & Kill” is 2–3 times higher than the cost of “Neuter, Vaccinate & Return”. In practice, however, the fees typically paid from public funds to private businessmen for “Catch & Kill” services are 10 times higher than the fee invoiced by a private veterinarian for the cost of a Neuter & Vaccination.
The dog management business is a lucrative way for private businessmen in a number of Romanian cities to avail themselves of public funds indefinitely. Typically, these private companies are on good personal terms with local politicians and may sponsor political parties or individual mayors. Due to the multi-million euro nature of the dog management business in Romania and their vested interests therein, these private businessmen have no incentive whatsoever to support a permanent reduction of the unsupervised dog population. A “Neuter, Vaccinate & Return” policy would render their business model obsolete in just a few years, whereas a continuation of the “Catch & Kill” policy will safeguard a constant supply of “raw material” and business income for the years to come. Unfortunately, dog population mismanagement perfectly illustrates certain well-known weaknesses in current Romanian society and administration.
According to our calculations, the technical cost of “Catch & Kill” is 2–3 times higher than the cost of “Neuter, Vaccinate & Return”. In practice, however, the fees typically paid from public funds to private businessmen for “Catch & Kill” services are 10 times higher than the fee invoiced by a private veterinarian for the cost of a Neuter & Vaccination.
The dog management business is a lucrative way for private businessmen in a number of Romanian cities to avail themselves of public funds indefinitely. Typically, these private companies are on good personal terms with local politicians and may sponsor political parties or individual mayors. Due to the multi-million euro nature of the dog management business in Romania and their vested interests therein, these private businessmen have no incentive whatsoever to support a permanent reduction of the unsupervised dog population. A “Neuter, Vaccinate & Return” policy would render their business model obsolete in just a few years, whereas a continuation of the “Catch & Kill” policy will safeguard a constant supply of “raw material” and business income for the years to come. Unfortunately, dog population mismanagement perfectly illustrates certain well-known weaknesses in current Romanian society and administration.
“Neuter, Vaccinate & Return” addresses the root of the problem, “Catch & Kill” only the symptoms, and is by far more cost-effective as you can also see in the following examples:
"Catch & Kill” has not permanently solved the stray dog problem anywhere in the world, and is often carried out inhumanely. In contrast, by means of a “Neuter, Vaccinate & Return” strategy, a reduction of the unsupervised dog population in six years to less than 10 % of its starting level has been evidenced even in pilot cities in Romania.
A successful stray management policy must include all owned dogs, because the abandoned dogs are the source of the next generation of unsupervised “street” dogs. Sterilization of owned dogs, if not in breeding, is compulsory in Romania since 1st of January, 2015.
- In 2001, the stray dog population in Bucharest was estimated at 70,000 dogs. The same year, Traian Basescu - the then-mayor of Bucharest - launched a campaign that led to the extermination of about 144,000 stray dogs in the capital alone, spending almost 9,000,000 Euros (62 Euros per dog killed) during the period from 2001-2007. Four years later, in 2011, when a mass-extermination was considered again for the first time, authorities claimed that 50,000 stray dogs were still/again roaming the streets of the Romanian capital and of which 60 percent were sterilized. In September 2013, at the time the current Law 258/2013 was introduced, the authorities claimed that there were about 65,000 street dogs living in Bucharest. Of these, ASPA claims having removed 55,000 dogs in 2013 and 2014, and ASPA's budget, as allocated by the town hall of Bucharest for this same period being of 11.842.420,39 EURO means that the costs involved in removing ONE dog were of 215,31 EUR. That said: from 2001 till 2014, a total of 199,000 dogs have been killed in the capital alone at a total cost of 20.842.420,39 EURO.
"Catch & Kill” has not permanently solved the stray dog problem anywhere in the world, and is often carried out inhumanely. In contrast, by means of a “Neuter, Vaccinate & Return” strategy, a reduction of the unsupervised dog population in six years to less than 10 % of its starting level has been evidenced even in pilot cities in Romania.
- ORADEA had a stray dog population of 4,000 animals in 2006 which had been reduced to 350 animals until 2011 at a cost of 14 Euros to spay/neuter one dog. The program was run and funded by Robert Smith - FPCC/Dog - Project Oradea, UK, in collaboration with the city hall Oradea
- LUGOJ had a stray dog population of 2,500 animals in 2008 which had been reduced to 235 animals until 2011 at a cost of 12 Euros to spay/neuter one dog. The program was run and funded by the city hall Lugoj in collaboration with the local animal welfare organization, 'Free Amely 2007'
A successful stray management policy must include all owned dogs, because the abandoned dogs are the source of the next generation of unsupervised “street” dogs. Sterilization of owned dogs, if not in breeding, is compulsory in Romania since 1st of January, 2015.
Applaud loudly, Mr Juncker,
Ploiesti leads the way!
After the introduction of the Law which initiated the Romanian Dog Slaughter (OUG 155/2001 amended by Law 258/2013) there was a generally held consensus that animals once captured, could not be returned to the streets. This consensus included the Romanian authorities, media and NGOs.
But the year 2016 started with good news received from Dr Carmen Arsene, the President of the National Federation for Animal Protection (FNPA) to prove us all wrong: the dogs can very well be returned to the streets, a fact that was taken into legal consideration by the Vice-Mayor of Ploiesti.
Following a Public Hearing about stray dogs in Ploiesti initiated by 'Alliance for Humane Rights in Romania' (ADOR), where Dr Carmen Arsene was invited as the Chairman of the Committee of Experts by journalist Eugen Cristescu, ADOR’s president, in December, 2015, the Romanian world spun on its axis when Ploiesti opted to become the first and only town in the entire country to stop the killings and to launch the implementation of the only humane, and proven effective method to control stray animal populations, and to introduce a spay & neuter program.
The draft for the adopted Draft Local Council Decision was drawn up by Dr. Carmen Arsene and journalist Eugen Cristescu, in close collaboration with the local councilors Sorin BOTEZ, and Ionut IONESCU.
And we applaud Ploiesti's Vice-Mayor, Mr Cristian Mihai Ganea, as well as the two councilors for both their vision and desire to put into practice what's not only morally right, but also scientifically the only correct thing to do. It takes indeed great bravery and exceptional individuals to have the courage and the conviction to introduce something radically different.
And while the rest of the country catches, incarcerates, abuses, slaughters, or starves the dogs to death, in the city of Ploiesti, the municipality has agreed to the only humane and proven effective practice, and becomes the first Romanian city - since the introduction of Romania's stray dog eradication policy according to OUG 155/2001 amended by Law 258/2013 - to be consistent in satisfying Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU-Commission's exhortation for Member States to work towards achieving ‘Shared Values’. Ploiesti has taken a giant step forward towards achieving this.
Applaud loudly Mr Juncker, Ploiesti leads the way!
But the year 2016 started with good news received from Dr Carmen Arsene, the President of the National Federation for Animal Protection (FNPA) to prove us all wrong: the dogs can very well be returned to the streets, a fact that was taken into legal consideration by the Vice-Mayor of Ploiesti.
Following a Public Hearing about stray dogs in Ploiesti initiated by 'Alliance for Humane Rights in Romania' (ADOR), where Dr Carmen Arsene was invited as the Chairman of the Committee of Experts by journalist Eugen Cristescu, ADOR’s president, in December, 2015, the Romanian world spun on its axis when Ploiesti opted to become the first and only town in the entire country to stop the killings and to launch the implementation of the only humane, and proven effective method to control stray animal populations, and to introduce a spay & neuter program.
The draft for the adopted Draft Local Council Decision was drawn up by Dr. Carmen Arsene and journalist Eugen Cristescu, in close collaboration with the local councilors Sorin BOTEZ, and Ionut IONESCU.
And we applaud Ploiesti's Vice-Mayor, Mr Cristian Mihai Ganea, as well as the two councilors for both their vision and desire to put into practice what's not only morally right, but also scientifically the only correct thing to do. It takes indeed great bravery and exceptional individuals to have the courage and the conviction to introduce something radically different.
And while the rest of the country catches, incarcerates, abuses, slaughters, or starves the dogs to death, in the city of Ploiesti, the municipality has agreed to the only humane and proven effective practice, and becomes the first Romanian city - since the introduction of Romania's stray dog eradication policy according to OUG 155/2001 amended by Law 258/2013 - to be consistent in satisfying Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU-Commission's exhortation for Member States to work towards achieving ‘Shared Values’. Ploiesti has taken a giant step forward towards achieving this.
Applaud loudly Mr Juncker, Ploiesti leads the way!
Thank you, Ploiesti!
The most important provisions of the Local Council Decision are:
- stray dogs will be neutered and RETURNED to their former place and they will have the status of community dogs; (Article 3 (6) a);
- “returning dogs to their place of origin is always preferred solution” (Article 3 (8) d);
- it is prohibited to catch and accommodate in the shelter those dogs that were already returned (unless they become aggressive or require urgent medical care) (Article 3 (7) b);
- Aggressive dogs shall be euthanized only if aggressiveness is ascertained and confirmed by a commission formed by representatives of the City Council and representatives of an Animal Welfare Organization (NGO) and confirmed by the signatures of at least two witnesses! (Article 3 (8)).
- Euthanasia is recommended only for dogs with incurable diseases (Article 3 (8) d). Euthanasia will be performed only in the presence of an NGO representative (except for cases of force majeure and only if the NGO has been notified about the fact there is a dog that needs to be urgently euthanized;) (Article 3 (9));
- NGO representatives have unrestricted access to the public shelter (Article 7);
- A mobile clinic will be established that can perform sterilizations, emergency treatment, vaccinations, etc. (Article 3 (12));
- To facilitate the sterilization of dogs with owners, a provision has been added that asks of vets who contract with City Hall to provide sterilization services for stray dogs to charge no more for the sterilization of dogs with owners than what they charge for the neutering of the stray dogs (Article 5 (9));
- A Police Department for Animals will be established which will be made up of four police officers who will be trained in animal welfare. The Department will work with representatives of NGOs in ALL their actions (Article 11);
- City Hall, in collaboration with the NGOs, will run media campaigns for the project and raise awareness by educating the public of the necessity to respect animal rights by: implementation of programs of information and education, also in schools; arrangement of advertising in public spaces to promote adoption and sterilization; organization of bi-monthly fairs for adoptions; printing and sharing of information material in schools, parks, owners’ associations, public services (Article 8).
You can read the original Local Council Decision Nr 502, ratified December 15th, 2015 below.
Why all eyes should be on Ploiesti now
After the successes achieved in Oradea and Lugoj BEFORE the introduction of the current stray animal eradication campaign, Ploiesti is now leading the way to a potentially enormous change in Romania as the FIRST and ONLY city in Romania to implement the only humane and proven effective method to deal with surplus dogs since the implementation of OUG 155/2001 amended by Law 258/2013.
This is one of the most important initiatives for many years, and we must therefore ALL help to make Ploiesti a success because with a CNR program, the horror shelters can close. They are not needed. Corruption will seek to keep them alive but after Ploiesti, they will be fish out of water breathing their last as the inevitability of the words "success in Ploiesti" and other cities that would follow, resonate loudly across Romania.
So we ask: "PLEASE, whatever you do, whatever you support, whatever you believe in, PLEASE turn your faces to the city of Ploiesti and offer support in any way you can!"
To find out what kind of support is eagerly sought and how you can get involved, or for any other question related to this important project, please get in touch with Eugen Cristescu, President of ADOR, either via email <[email protected]> or by using the contact form below.
This is one of the most important initiatives for many years, and we must therefore ALL help to make Ploiesti a success because with a CNR program, the horror shelters can close. They are not needed. Corruption will seek to keep them alive but after Ploiesti, they will be fish out of water breathing their last as the inevitability of the words "success in Ploiesti" and other cities that would follow, resonate loudly across Romania.
So we ask: "PLEASE, whatever you do, whatever you support, whatever you believe in, PLEASE turn your faces to the city of Ploiesti and offer support in any way you can!"
To find out what kind of support is eagerly sought and how you can get involved, or for any other question related to this important project, please get in touch with Eugen Cristescu, President of ADOR, either via email <[email protected]> or by using the contact form below.