Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Drobeta–Turnu Severin, is the capital of Mehedinți județ (county), in southwestern Romania. It is an important inland port on the Danube near the point where the river leaves the Iron Gate gorge.
The original settlement was mentioned by the 2nd-century-ad Greek geographer Ptolemy of Alexandria as Drobeta, a Dacian town made into a castrum (fortified place) by the Romans. The name Turnu Severin, meaning “Tower of Severus,” came from a tower built to commemorate a victory by the 2nd- and 3rd-century Roman emperor Septimius Severus.
So far, so good...
The original settlement was mentioned by the 2nd-century-ad Greek geographer Ptolemy of Alexandria as Drobeta, a Dacian town made into a castrum (fortified place) by the Romans. The name Turnu Severin, meaning “Tower of Severus,” came from a tower built to commemorate a victory by the 2nd- and 3rd-century Roman emperor Septimius Severus.
So far, so good...
Soon Drobeta-Turnu Severin will enter history as the first Romanian municipality to implement the 'Slaughter Law' and to kill 577 dogs at once!
In an article published in the Romanian media on 16th of October, 2013, Mayor Constantin Gheorghe, stated that he would implement the 'Slaughter Law' allowing the 'euthanasia' of ALL animals who can be caught - including the gentle ones, the pregnant bitches, the puppies, the sterilized ones, the social ones, the community dogs who have never hurt anyone - after a '14-days-pre-slaughter-period' spent in one of Romania's death camps, and kill all 577 dogs that are currently held in the local public shelter.
To justify such inhumane, morally repressive decision that makes the blood of any person with compassion and a slight sense for justice, chill in his/her veins, the mayor proclaimed that he cannot accept to pay more for the 'maintenance' of the dogs than for an old man in need, or for a child, all the while boasting that his town has got the stray animals issue almost under control; that, although there has been discord in this segment, he did not hesitate to do the job and that he believes that he "controlled the situation".
We think the mayor's statements -- his intention to kill so many animals and believing the situation was under control -- are quite in contradiction, but let's put logic aside. For now...
The next video will give you an idea about what the mayor means when he says: "I have controlled the situation!"
Despite receiving 9,700 Euros per month from City Hall, in 2008, dog carcasses where found by a volunteer at the local pound. Most of them were eaten by other dogs due to long term starvation. No reasonable foreign visitor would approve of this kind of disgraceful neglect. It is clear, basic care is impossible for this local dog pound.
As stated in the same article, according to the figures provided by the accounting service of the town hall, the municipality of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, spends between 1,200,000 and 1,300,000 LEI per year, ie around 100,000 lei per month on the 'maintenance' of the homeless animals. According to the logic behind the mayor's statement this would then be the amount that the municipality would spend to help people in need.
We are afraid that the mayor's statement is nothing but the kind of propaganda, that aims at making the criminal acts of violence look lawful and acceptable to the public, but that he has no serious intentions in spending the money on the young or the elderly.
But we will see... We will not miss to contact the mayor in a few months and inquire, although also here, we have already doubts that we will even receive an answer because the mayor is known for fleeing when confronted with uncomfortable questions. So happened early this year, in May 2013, when Court Representatives, followed by journalists, visited the town hall in order to proceed to regular checks regarding the accountability of the municipality...
We are afraid that the mayor's statement is nothing but the kind of propaganda, that aims at making the criminal acts of violence look lawful and acceptable to the public, but that he has no serious intentions in spending the money on the young or the elderly.
But we will see... We will not miss to contact the mayor in a few months and inquire, although also here, we have already doubts that we will even receive an answer because the mayor is known for fleeing when confronted with uncomfortable questions. So happened early this year, in May 2013, when Court Representatives, followed by journalists, visited the town hall in order to proceed to regular checks regarding the accountability of the municipality...
On the new legislation
According to the XIth chapter of the project with the methodological norms (implementation rules) of the law, the euthanasia of both the dogs caught but unsolicited by their owners, and the ones not adopted in 14 days in public shelter, will be given by a person empowered by the mayor to give this decision. Euthanasia could be performed only by veterinary doctors (while the methods and the procedures that are forbidden are: chemical (through the administration of chemical substances) and mechanical (incineration, exsanguination (blood draining) or drowning).
In this context we would like to remind all veterinarians willing to assist with the killing of healthy animals, that such an act violates the Romanian Veterinarians Code of Ethics and the Decision Nr 24/03.12.2011 of the National Council of Veterinarians.
In this context we would like to remind all veterinarians willing to assist with the killing of healthy animals, that such an act violates the Romanian Veterinarians Code of Ethics and the Decision Nr 24/03.12.2011 of the National Council of Veterinarians.
Open letter and petition
to the Mayor of Drobeta-Turnu Severin
To: The Mayor of Drobeta Turnu Severin, Constantin Gherghe
Copy to:
The President of the Council of Europe
The President of the European Commission, Mr Manuel José Barroso
The President of the European Parliament, Mr Martin Schultz
The Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions, Mrs Ermina Mazzoni
The Honorary President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, Mr Carl Schlyter
The President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, Mr Dan Jorgensen
One of the Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament's Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, Mrs Daciana Sarbu
and to: different media representatives and different Romanian government officials
Mr Mayor,
we read with interest about your intention to 'euthanize' 577 animals which you regard as not being cost-effective to support, compared with the young or the elderly.
And we read with deep sorrow that you have taken such a inhumane, morally repressive decision that makes the blood of any person with compassion and a slight sense for justice, chill in his/her veins, all the while boasting that your town has got the stray animals issue almost under control - that, although there has been discord in this segment, you did not hesitate to do the job and that you would believe that you "controlled the situation".
This statement is in contradiction with your decision to kill these 577 sentient beings actually kept in the local pound and we do not understand the logic behind it.
You have probably already heard that Catch-Neuter-Return is the only proven humane and effective method to reduce stray animal populations. Statistical studies indicate that in order to fully control a stray population, you need to achieve a 70 percent sterilization rate of the animals within a particular community. Once you reach the 70 percent threshold, the probability that an un-sterilized female comes into contact with an un-sterilized male is sufficiently small, and the population stops growing.
But the problem is not just stray dogs, the problem is loose dogs. Given that most owned dogs and cats in Romania are NOT sterilized but allowed to roam freely and to mate as they wish and that their off-spring is then simply being abandoned, such sterilization campaigns MUST include ALL owned dogs.
Killing stray animals does not stop the problem and only offers a temporary “solution”. The World Health Organization’s “Guidelines for Dog Population Management” (Geneva 1990) and various other academic studies show that killing dogs is ineffective because it addresses only the effect but not the cause. The more dogs you kill, the more space and food there is for new dogs and the World Health Organisation backs this up. As long as people dump dogs on the street and let dogs loose on the street to breed, there will be more dogs. When dogs disappear, other dogs appear.
Without the implementation of a massive sterilization campaign that MUST include all owned dogs, your streets will never be free of dogs and you will be confronted with the same problem again in a few years from now.
We are sorry to say it, but your intention to kill all dogs at the local pound is illogical and very short sighted and we would like to ask you to please reconsider your decision.
And you should please also consider that many of these 577 dogs have already been sterilized, that some are considered community-dogs and are even semi-owned. That most are not aggressive, but gentle, socialized and that they have probably never hurt anyone and that there are probably very many people in your town who love animals, including the stray animals. These people have the right to love and care, but the official policy of animal mass slaughter that you support, negates this right and makes it invalid, and in this respect, animal rights violations are at one with human rights violations.
Please know also that people are already organizing themselves on social networks such as Facebook to save as many animals from your local pound as possible, but given that you have restricted the visiting hours and that adoptions are only possible on Thursdays from 2 til 4 o'clock, this seems to be impossible to do, simply because of an ill-considered organisation.
Killing all these animals without having given them any chance for a better life will also very negatively affect the image of your entire beautiful city and it will inevitably have repercussions on the tourism-industry of which your town also depends. Romania is already a "red flag on the map" of most people in Europe and even around the world, and many have already decided not to visit your country neither to buy any products originating in Romania. And those who will visit will make sure not to support a town of which they know that homeless animals have been killed there in huge numbers, but they will rather chose one of those municipalities that have confirmed that they would NOT implement the 'Slaughter Law'.
Please reconsider your decision, Mr Mayor. Please make the humane choice and everybody wins... because the question is not a marginal one but it affects the opinions and attitudes of millions of sensitive and caring people across the world who can grasp the meaning of suffering and commiseration.
In case you decide to go ahead with your killing-plan, may we send a representative to ensure that your proposed plans are correctly widely reported and to explore why in Romania, European standards are not exercised? Why European directives and laws such as the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals of which your country is a signatory, the Written Declaration on Dog Population Management, the European Parliament Resolution from 4th of July, 2012 and last but not least, the OIE-Regulations on Stray Animal Population Management, are not upheld despite the abject management failures of controlling the stray animal populations throughout Romanian history?
The 'Making The Link' Study and Project Group, of which our organisation, Occupy for Animals, is a project-partner, is conducting a major study program in Romania in collaboration with a large number of international universities, and never having had such a large mass killing in any major European city, we are eager to ensure that this strategy and event are not misreported. Nowhere in Europe has it been deemed necessary to kill so many animals with alternative means always being implemented to manage the situation, and we would like to send a representative to Drobeta-Turnu Severin to fully report on this unique and tragic event.
We would be eager to know if you will kill all the animals at the same time? Will you be present when this event takes place? Will you supervise the killing and make sure that they will be killed 'humanely' without causing them unnecessary fear and pain?
We would like to interview those vets who conduct this slaughter. Killing live creatures can impact on human's psychological health, as you are no doubt aware. It is a singularly unnatural process.
In the remainder of Europe, euthanasia of healthy animals is forbidden and against veterinarian's Code of Conduct, and we understand that in Romania such European standards, policies and laws are deemed irrelevant as indeed both the Romanian Veterinarians Code of Ethics and the Decision nr. 24/03.12.2011 of the National Council of Veterinarians, will have to be ignored.
Can we understand that the wife of your Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, who claims payment from European Parliament's Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, and who has been instrumental in creating the Written Declaration on Dog Population Management 0026/2011, is unaware of your intentions which are directly opposed to her position?
Or can we assume that Daciana Sarbu has contacted you? As you are aware also, her position becomes completely untenable with each event such as the one which you have proposed.
We sincerely hope that you will reconsider your decision and collaborate with your local animal protection organisations and volunteers who will help you to re-home as many animals as possible.
In the event that you don't want to reconsider your position on this matter, we would like to wish you good luck with your future projects to support people in need and you can be assured that we will not miss to contact you in a few months from now to inquire how you have used the 100,000 LEI per month that you have, according to your municipality, until now spend on the 'maintenance' of the homeless dogs, for the benefit of the elderly and children.
Yours,
[Signer's name]
Thank you!
Mr Mayor:
"Look! You are in the news... Not sure it's going to boost your tourism, though"
The Drobeta-Turnu Severin Dog Executions
October 21, 2013 by Dr Rita Pal, originally posted in 'The Huffington Post' - Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the capital city of Mehedinti county, stands on the banks of the Danube, close to the Iron Gate Gorge in south-western Romania. It has a long and illustrious history, dating back as far as the 2nd Century AD attracting ample tourism. Much of that is soon to be overshadowed by the actions of its current Mayor, Constantin Gheorghe.
Foreign visitors to Romania should be aware of the gruesome secrets of the local dog pound. Disturbing footage here shows the extent of the horrific neglect. Despite receiving 9700 Euros per month from City Hall, in 2008, dog carcasses where found by a volunteer at the local pound. Most of them were eaten by other dogs due to long term starvation. No reasonable foreign visitor would approve of this kind of disgraceful neglect. It is clear, basic care is impossible for this local dog pound.
As many readers will know, a recent change in Romanian law means local lawmakers are in a position to order the destruction of stray dogs in the country's pounds if a home cannot be found for them after just 14 days in captivity. Some Mayors have fizzed with enthusiasm at this new rule announcing their intent to kill innocent defenceless creatures. The Mayor of Botosani was one such man who gleefully admitted to terminating dogs before the law . His colleague, the Mayor of Constanta followed on with his announcement. Everyone has remained unimpressed since his frivolous stunt a few weeks ago. He dressed up as a dog catcher with an entourage of belly dancers, samba music, and feathers - all for the entertainment of the tourists. Few were amused by the flippant insensitive immature nature of these individuals in power. Perhaps Mayor Gheorghe wishes to boost the tourism in his area by waving his castanets to the Death March now.
On the 16th October 2013, Mayor Gheorghe, announced that his administration would be the first to go ahead with the so-called slaughter law.
His callous decision encompasses all dogs in the county's pounds, including puppies, pregnant bitches, friendly and inherently social animals - creatures that are, in all probability, lost pets rather than feral street dogs. The result will be 577 dogs put to death, their lives ended by lethal injection a mere 14 days after being taken into captivity.
Mayor Gheorghe justifies this mass extermination on the grounds of economics. It is not right, he says, to spend money on feeding and housing stray dogs, when the money could be spent instead on caring for needy human beings. Clearly, Constantin Gheorghe is unfamiliar with the concept of humane treatment, which emphasises kindness, compassion and benevolence. With great power comes great responsibility. What does his zest to kill defenceless creatures tell us about his decision making ability in other areas? Will all his decisions be based on ill thought out economics? His decision demonstrates quite clearly that he has no respect for the life of any creature great or small. This absence of empathy and kindness should concern the local population. The spotlight has fallen on this Mayor because he is the kind of man who should not be in a position of responsibility. His victims, the voiceless and defenceless, are at his mercy today. Who will be at his mercy tomorrow? The disabled, the stroke victim, the orphan, the homeless, the ill patient?
Interestingly, the Mayor is also confident that his administration has almost "dealt with" the county's stray dog problem, feeling that it is now "under control". No legitimate evidence of this has been provided. Could it be that this is little more than a wily politician's ploy to assuage dissent while, at the same time, claiming to be carrying out his stated policies without hesitation? After all, according to the local media article referenced above, the county spends at most a mere 1,300,000 LEI per year, or around 100,000 per month, on maintaining stray dogs - a barely significant sum in the context of an entire county's budget.
Whatever the truth may be, Mayor Gheorghe appears to be proud of doing what he feels needs to be done, despite the storm of protest that his decision has raised, both locally in Romania and in the wider world via social media. The campaign group, Occupy for Animals, has drafted an open letter and petition, which concerned individuals are encouraged to sign and send to the Mayor, in the hope that he will rethink this brutal, inhumane and illogical policy before it is too late.
Mayor Gheorghe's actions appear to be setting a dangerous precedent for the rest of the Mayors in Romania. The license to kill appears to be given to those who have recklessly abused their power for many years. Combined with the absence of accountability, the abuse of power will result in endless dog corpses.
This Mayor is just one of many cruel cold callous powerful individuals in Romania who have lost their consciences and their ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Their material world is now stained with the blood of the vulnerable and helpless. It is just a matter of time before this type of decision making extends to humans where the right to life is measured on a cold calculated financial balance sheet.
Foreign visitors to Romania should be aware of the gruesome secrets of the local dog pound. Disturbing footage here shows the extent of the horrific neglect. Despite receiving 9700 Euros per month from City Hall, in 2008, dog carcasses where found by a volunteer at the local pound. Most of them were eaten by other dogs due to long term starvation. No reasonable foreign visitor would approve of this kind of disgraceful neglect. It is clear, basic care is impossible for this local dog pound.
As many readers will know, a recent change in Romanian law means local lawmakers are in a position to order the destruction of stray dogs in the country's pounds if a home cannot be found for them after just 14 days in captivity. Some Mayors have fizzed with enthusiasm at this new rule announcing their intent to kill innocent defenceless creatures. The Mayor of Botosani was one such man who gleefully admitted to terminating dogs before the law . His colleague, the Mayor of Constanta followed on with his announcement. Everyone has remained unimpressed since his frivolous stunt a few weeks ago. He dressed up as a dog catcher with an entourage of belly dancers, samba music, and feathers - all for the entertainment of the tourists. Few were amused by the flippant insensitive immature nature of these individuals in power. Perhaps Mayor Gheorghe wishes to boost the tourism in his area by waving his castanets to the Death March now.
On the 16th October 2013, Mayor Gheorghe, announced that his administration would be the first to go ahead with the so-called slaughter law.
His callous decision encompasses all dogs in the county's pounds, including puppies, pregnant bitches, friendly and inherently social animals - creatures that are, in all probability, lost pets rather than feral street dogs. The result will be 577 dogs put to death, their lives ended by lethal injection a mere 14 days after being taken into captivity.
Mayor Gheorghe justifies this mass extermination on the grounds of economics. It is not right, he says, to spend money on feeding and housing stray dogs, when the money could be spent instead on caring for needy human beings. Clearly, Constantin Gheorghe is unfamiliar with the concept of humane treatment, which emphasises kindness, compassion and benevolence. With great power comes great responsibility. What does his zest to kill defenceless creatures tell us about his decision making ability in other areas? Will all his decisions be based on ill thought out economics? His decision demonstrates quite clearly that he has no respect for the life of any creature great or small. This absence of empathy and kindness should concern the local population. The spotlight has fallen on this Mayor because he is the kind of man who should not be in a position of responsibility. His victims, the voiceless and defenceless, are at his mercy today. Who will be at his mercy tomorrow? The disabled, the stroke victim, the orphan, the homeless, the ill patient?
Interestingly, the Mayor is also confident that his administration has almost "dealt with" the county's stray dog problem, feeling that it is now "under control". No legitimate evidence of this has been provided. Could it be that this is little more than a wily politician's ploy to assuage dissent while, at the same time, claiming to be carrying out his stated policies without hesitation? After all, according to the local media article referenced above, the county spends at most a mere 1,300,000 LEI per year, or around 100,000 per month, on maintaining stray dogs - a barely significant sum in the context of an entire county's budget.
Whatever the truth may be, Mayor Gheorghe appears to be proud of doing what he feels needs to be done, despite the storm of protest that his decision has raised, both locally in Romania and in the wider world via social media. The campaign group, Occupy for Animals, has drafted an open letter and petition, which concerned individuals are encouraged to sign and send to the Mayor, in the hope that he will rethink this brutal, inhumane and illogical policy before it is too late.
Mayor Gheorghe's actions appear to be setting a dangerous precedent for the rest of the Mayors in Romania. The license to kill appears to be given to those who have recklessly abused their power for many years. Combined with the absence of accountability, the abuse of power will result in endless dog corpses.
This Mayor is just one of many cruel cold callous powerful individuals in Romania who have lost their consciences and their ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Their material world is now stained with the blood of the vulnerable and helpless. It is just a matter of time before this type of decision making extends to humans where the right to life is measured on a cold calculated financial balance sheet.
"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.― Martin Luther King J"