URGENT WINTER APPEAL FOR ROMANIAN DOGS IN NEED

Click here for details of the event on Facebook. 

Donate to Romanian Emergency Dog Rescue

These are just some of the dogs were have tried to assist with all your donations. 

There were many others and shelters as well. We hope you will donate to us this year so that in 2015 we are able to assist even more dogs in Romania. You can donate through our Facebook Donate App here.  Or you can donate through our fundraising page. We are not a charity but all funds go straight to Romania to dogs that need it most. 

Greece :- Stray Puppy Beaten to Death

NEWSFLASH. PLEASE SHARE ASAP. Original Source.

North Evia: A 3.5 months old stray puppy beaten to death by the owner of a fish restaurant. A demonstration will take place on Saturday the 19th 

On July the 18th, during the early morning, the owner of a fish restaurant at the port of Nea Styra, North Evia, Greece, killed a 3,5 month old stray dog by beating it on the head with a wooden chair and distorting his skull.

Eyewitnesses called the police immediately which, due to incompetency, directed them to the Hellenic Coast Guard of Nea Styra of Evia. 

According to their statements, the businessman said that he was “hassled by seeing the dog hanging out in front of his restaurant and got bored with kicking it”. Two people of the Hellenic Coast Guard arrived some minutes later, but the offender was gone. They recorded the incident, noted down the statements of the eyewitnesses and took photos of the puppy, barely breathing. 

The animal was transported to a veterinary surgeon at 5 am. Unfortunately, due to severe lesions on his skull the puppy was put to sleep; Miss Tapouti, Veterinary Surgeon, took an X-ray and prepared a report which includes her opinion. Both documents have been deposed to the Karystos DA and will be the main evidence on the case. The Hellenic Coast Guard is collecting evidence from eyewitnesses, so the DA of Karystos can issue an order of immediate arrest of the offender, even beyond the flagrant crime procedure.

On Saturday the 19th of July, a demonstration in front of the Restaurant “Psistaria O Kostas” is oranized by animal welfare activists, the habitans of Styra, Evia and tourists on vacation in the area

The petition "We demand that the EU create a Directorate-General for Animal Welfare" has collected more than 92,000 signatures in less than 2 months.

From Occupy for Animals

Can we reach 100,000 signatures before it will be discussed on radio next Tuesday?

Dr Peter Bowen-Walker, the creator of this petition, will be interviewed by a UK radio on Tuesday and has a phone call booked with an EU official next Friday to discuss this important petition. If we could reach the 100,000 mark, or even more until then, it would already be too big to be ignored. 

Would you help us to reach that goal, please? 

We know that with the precious support of our members, readers and friends it would be an easy thing  and we thank you very much, in advance, for your help.

ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT PETITION

There are tens of millions of animals in Europe and too many of them suffer - to our shame! A fundamental principle of the EU is that animals are recognized as "sentient" and their welfare must be taken seriously. This treaty position is unfortunately largely idle rhetoric.

Six million animals are transported unnecessarily across the continent for slaughter every year. Fur farms are abundant, bull-fighting still exists and dogs and cats are killed using EU tax-payers money in a way which does not accord with best practice for controlling disease in the new member states! Tens of millions of animals are intensively bred for food and many slaughter-houses in the EU fall short of the standards demanded by the union's own legislation.

Frankly - the EU routinely fails animals and the will of the people. The welfare of animals is a matter currently dealt with by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers. As the name suggests - animals are viewed merely as property and objects linked to human health (whether as food, or instruments for developing pharmaceutical products etc.). This is not good enough and does not confer a high enough status or importance on animals and as a result they suffer within the EU through their invisibility and under-representation.

This petition calls on the EU to create a specific Directorate-General for Animal Welfare. It will be the role of this body to represent animal welfare at the highest levels within the EU, to propose laws to benefit animal welfare, and to champion animal welfare on a wider international stage on behalf of the EU. The D-G for animal welfare will be the new keeper of the conscience for the EU and will ensure a new relationship develops between humanity and the other "sentient" species with which we share the planet.

---------------------------------------------

This very important petition has been officially registered at the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament and is being supported by a number of MEPs and many animal welfare organisations.

If you have not signed this important petition yet, please take a moment to add your voice to it by signing at the link:

►► http://www.thepetitionsite.com/811/362/115/we-demand-that-the-eu-creates-a-directorate-general-for-animal-welfare/

Thank you!

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CAN THEY SUFFER?

by Dr Peter Bowen-Walker - I am proud to be a citizen of the European Union - at times! When I consider the world-leading work the EU has done on protecting the environment, I rejoice. When I consider initiatives such as Natura 2000 which aims to protect our valuable natural heritage now and for future generations, I feel inspired and want to get behind the EU project.

Nevertheless - when I consider the reality for animals in Europe in the 21st century - I despair. In fact, at times I am positively ashamed of being associated with a capitalist block which treats animals as little more than property to be farmed, experimented on and culled when they are unwanted. Such an exploitative, speciesist perspective which in reality treats animals as scarcely any different to other common chattels is flawed and deeply offensive to me.

As long ago as the late 1700s, great thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham were actively publishing their concerns about the way animals were treated by so called "civilized" people in Great Britain. In his seminal work in 1789 'An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation', Bentham opined that the wellbeing of animals is no less important than that of human beings, and must be taken into account because as he so eloquently put it:

“The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?”

Some 200 years since he wrote this compelling sentence - the EU, a trading block of the richest and most technologically advanced nations on earth has scarcely moved forward in relation to how some animals are treated!

Take for example the transport of six million live animals across the continent. Every year - this unnecessary process is permitted to continue in the name of free trade. We know these animals suffer great distress and many die in the process. The EU's own reports indicate many member states fail to enforce their obligations to ensure animals are given even the most basic provisions (such as food and water) and protections (transporting times) on the journey.

Transporting animals not only raises issues of animal welfare, but flies in the face of good environmental stewardship due to the use of fossil fuels required to move them. It may make economic sense but it makes no environmental or animal welfare sense to do so - and as such makes commercial but not moral sense! The EU needs to evolve its values to extend in practice and action beyond economic efficiency into the area of animal welfare.

A central rationale for the creation of the original EC was to encourage cooperation between European nation states so that "Europa's" great folly (the two World Wars) might be rendered impossible in future. I do not need to remind readers of the appalling atrocities committed during the 1939-1945 conflict - but it is worth taking a moment to consider the pitiful but analogous state some of our fellow vertebrates are compelled to endure today in the name of food, medicine, profit and vanity! I hope one day - the EU will find a way to ensure all sentient creatures are treated with dignity, respect and compassion. In order to do so however, its leaders will need to move beyond their current anthropocentric immaturity.

It is now time the EU took seriously a core value declared by Article 13 of the Treaty for the Functioning of the EU which provides:

"In formulating and implementing the Union's agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage."

They might begin doing so by removing the anthropocentric caveat enshrined at the end of Article 13 and by adopting the stance taken by Denmark recently - namely, "Animal welfare takes precedence over religion". It should also take precedence over profit, economic efficiency and traditional cultural practices!

For many EU citizens, animal welfare is a profoundly important issue. (I would include myself amongst their number). Indeed - the way animals are treated is so central to the identity of some people that it must be accepted that it engages ECHR Article 9 rights - namely it impacts on the fundamental freedoms of "thought, conscience and religion". This may sound like a fanciful proposition - but the educationalist Howard Gardner specifically identified "naturalistic intelligence" as one of nine "multiple intelligences" inherent in the human condition. To see animal suffering is profoundly and viscerally upsetting to many people, and living in an EU which facilitates such suffering is a license to create antipathy toward the very institution which has as a core value the wellbeing of animals!

Having a connection with, and deep respect (even reverence) for nature and animals has been evident within humanity for thousands of years and has been apparent since the dawn of our species. After all, humans are no more than animals and so an empathy with other sentient beings is unremarkable given our interdependence. It is now time such values were not only enshrined in law - but that active and visible steps were taken to move us from a point of rhetoric to a point of effective action.

The EU has been accused of suffering from a "democratic deficit". In relation to influencing animal welfare policy making - I concur with the charge.

Take for example the issue of labelling meat produced by ritual slaughter. All Shechita and some Halal meat is produced under an exemption from the requirement for prior-stunning before slaughter. For many people this is an abhorrent practice and it creates a conflict with their "conscience". Yet the EU has been reluctant or incapable of taking the lead by encouraging its member states to end the practice, or at the very least to insist on the labelling of meat produced in this fashion. Instead it hides behind the shield that the issue is outside its "competence". In my view, this is a poor excuse and indicates the moral leadership of the EU is deficient as well as its democratic processes.

Since this method of slaughter has been repeatedly shown to be inhumane (even the veterinary authorities of the EU itself opine as much) - why is the meat not labelled transparently? How does the EU justify putting the religious conscience of a minority above the secular conscience of the majority who want to reduce and eliminate animal cruelty? What purpose does a Charter of Fundamental Rights really serve if the rights of the majority of its citizens are ignored?

Even when the EU has some authority to intervene in matters which do not fall entirely within the competence of member states - it appears reluctant to do so.

The current policy in Romania of "Catch & Kill" which has been adopted to control rabies provides a good example.

Romania has adopted a methodological approach for controlling rabies which includes inter alia the practice of rounding-up stray dogs and killing them. This practice has been shown to fall short of internationally recognised best practice. Yet, despite this - Romania is being supported to do so by the EU. Clearly the prevention of the spread of rabies is desirable not only from a human health perspective but also from an animal welfare perspective. However a recent piece of research provided by two lawyers from Finland has concluded that the EU subsidy which supports Romania's rabies eradication programme is not only contrary to the values of the EU but is also illegal because the methodology does not accord with known best practice. Furthermore, according to the same research, the burden of proof is on the European Commission when it assumes that EU subsidies under other programmes are not flowing into Romania’s large-scale dog culling business. 

Returning to my general thesis concerning the inadequate animal welfare practices prevailing within the EU - the Romanian dog cull is yet another example which exposes the reality of the EU for many animals - namely as a trans-national institution out of touch with the aspirations and values of its own citizens concerning the animals that live there. In addition to the self-evident deficiencies in animal welfare practices - the EU is not aligned in practice even with its own core values and as an unaccountable giant-"quango" is disturbingly at liberty to spend tax-payers money in a potentially unlawful and ineffective way! Is there any hope for the future of the EU?

Concluding remarks:

In May 2014, the EU elections are taking place. The Euro-Group for animals has been working hard to raise awareness of animal welfare deficiencies within the EU in the minds of voters to encourage them to lobby MEPs and prospective candidates to adopt a pro-active and supportive stance on this important issue. I predict this will become an increasingly important issue in future as the "online generation" of socially-networked and more compassionate young people become eligible to shape and influence future EU policy. It would make sense for future EU leaders to bear this in mind and to be one step ahead.

The Commission website states:

"Anyone may lodge a complaint with the Commission against a Member State for any measure (law, regulation or administrative action) or practice attributable to a Member State which they consider incompatible with a provision or a principle of EU law."

Yes - that's all very well and good - but do they take complaints seriously? The Romanian dog cull will make for a good test case. Is the cull being rendered possible because of a lack of moral leadership or a democratic deficit? - let's wait and see!

It is now time we had an EU Director General for Animal Welfare. At this time, animal welfare comes under the remit of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers. As the name suggests, this is an anthropocentric and commercially focused body which treats animals as no more than resources for exploitation for the benefits of humanity. We now need an official at the top-table whose only remit is to fight for the interests of animals within the EU and to raise such issues on an international level. If the EU wants to remain relevant to its citizens, such an appointment is not only urgently needed on moral grounds, but it would also be popular with the voters.

We live on a small planet which we share with another million or so species. Our very existence depends on the healthy functioning of the systems in place and our very humanity is contingent and conditional on how we treat those who are weaker than ourselves.

“The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?”

(Jeremy Bentham, 1789)

Finally - in reality having worked with people on the continent who are as passionate and committed to animal welfare as any Brit, I don't think we are that different. But since the EU is all about making rules for selling bananas and cuckoo-clocks and forcing unfettered immigration on us (that is how the British press presents the EU!) - if it broadened its remit to tackling some social and moral issues that the majority of its citizens cared about - rather than what the business community and politicians cared about - then perhaps it would not be so easy to lazily brand the EU as suffering from democratic and moral deficits.

My hope now is that a new generation of EU leaders will come forward and look at what really matters to the 500 million EU citizens - animal welfare would certainly command some support!

They should start by immediately withdrawing funding from Romania to the extent subsidies, directly or indirectly, are supporting Romania’s large-scale dog-culling business - then this should be widely publicised for effect and impact!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Peter Bowen-Walker BSc (Hons) MEd PGCE PhD (FSBiol CBiol FCollT) (UK), is a biological scientist and lecturer and is currently reading law. He has a particular interest in the environment and habitat protection and is working towards a career in animal welfare law. He is a member of the Association of Lawyers for Animal Welfare, the Lawyers' Secular Society and the RSPCA.

The previous article 'Can They Suffer' by Dr Peter Bowen Bowen-Walker was written for the book 'The Invisible Rape of Europe'. 

Related Link.

Romanian Stray Dogs - Court of Appeal Suspends Execution Methodology of "Killing Law" - by Dr Rita Pal

International animal welfare organisation Four Paws has worked tirelessly to challenge the much criticised law on the execution of stray dogs in Romania. The law came into effect in October 2013 amid mass protests on and off the internet. The methodology to be applied to ending the lives of stray dogs came to be known in December 2013. Mass executions began nationwide thereafter. The cruelty and wicked treatment of vulnerable dogs in Romania is now infamous. A number of members of the European Parliament offered a scathing indictment of Romania's conduct . It is a well-known fact that the execution law has paved the way for a licence to kill and neglect these animals in the worst ways possible. All animal welfare organisations have unanimously agreed that the mass execution of stray dogs is not an ethical way to achieve population control.

In an interesting poll conducted by Four Paws, even the Romanian people were not in favour of such executions , with 62% of Romanians stating that they are against the killing of stray dogs. A large number of Romanians agree with alternative solutions to the increasing number of stray dogs in Romania: 84% prefer the option of keeping stray dogs in animal shelters and 72% agree with the docile ones being returned to the streets, providing that they are neutered beforehand. A notable finding: 66% would not vote for a political party that supports the euthanasia of stray dogs and 7% would even adopt a stray. In addition, more than 98,000 people supported Four Paw's SOS Romania call to quash the law which allows the killing of stray dogs.

In January 2014, Four Paws challenged the methodological norms, arguing that there are several aspects therein that contradict laws of higher force. "For example, according to this methodology, the local authorities could delegate the management of the stray dogs to any private company. This may open the floodgates to conflict of interests and haemorrhaging public funds", explains Gabriel Paun, Director of Campaigns at Four Paws. "Another example: public access to shelters was restricted, and consequently the adoptions were largely restricted." Firstly, Four Paws called on the Romanian Government to freeze the methodology, but unfortunately the Government dismissed the request. Therefore, in March 2014, FOUR PAWS challenged it at the Court of Appeal in Bucharest.

Last Friday [20th June 2014], the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the international animal welfare organisation Four Paws, and suspended the execution methodology of the stray dogs euthanasia law. According to the official communication of the Court of Appeal, the entire governmental decision is suspended. As a result of this judgment, the suspended methodology no longer holds any applicable norms or legal framework to capture stray dogs, nor to issue a decision to kill them. This came into effect immediately.

"The Court's decision to suspend the killing norms is a clear, independent signal that things do not work so far with the new killing law", says Gabriel Paun. "It brings us confidence in our goal to bring about a change from an emotional to a rational way to manage the stray dogs humanely. With the financial support of our donors we have sterilised over 100,000 strays in Romania. The organisation offers further support in this direction but our efforts will only bring safe streets and welfare for the dogs if we are backed up by a rational law and support from all municipalities", stresses Paun.

It is clear that this victory has not gone down well with the beleaguered and hapless Authority for the Supervision of Protection of Animals [ASPA]. The authority was last involved in a brutal massacre of dogs belonging to Four Paws. . In a blustering reaction, R. Bancescu (the project leader of the authority in Bucharest) said, " City Hall will continue to euthanise stray dogs". He asks the government to challenge the Court of Appeal's decision. The deadline for this is the 1st July 2014, before the court vacation commences.

Of course, any challenge he wishes to support will be against evidence-based dog population management, supported by the European Parliament and every animal welfare organisation in the world. It will also be against the Romanian population's own wishes.

In the meantime, this court victory is a welcome ray of light for Romanian stray dogs. Four Paws should be congratulated for their brave challenge. Their journey has been difficult and fraught with repeated harassment from the authorities. Nevertheless, justice is being served.

The bigger and more important question is this - will the Romanian authorities pay heed to this ruling, or will they merely conduct executions in secret?

RELATED INFORMATION

Governmental Decision no. 1059/2013 for the application of the Killing law 258/2013

- The official website of the Bucharest Court of Appeal: The Case: 

Dr Pal's article was initially posted in the Huffington Post.

Dr Rita Pal has written quite a few excellent articles on the Romanian stray dogs issue already - you'll find them all at: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/rita-pal/ 

Shocking. Stray dogs in Mangalia, killed and skinned. The skin used for gloves and shoes

"Serious accusations were made by an animal protection association from Mangalia. The volunteers say that hundreds of dogs are victims of massacres organized by the dog catchers who take the skins of the dogs as trophies

Wednesday, the body of a skinned animal was found in a field, near Mangalia. Near the female dog, were the pups that were left alive.

The volunteers say that they saw dozens of stray dogs hunted by two men that go around with a white van that has a Bulgarian license plate. These people want the skin of the animals that is highly acclaimed by manufacturers of gloves and shoes.

There is a high probability they are killed for their skin" - said Cristina Ivanciuc, volunteer.

Animal lovers said that the bus raced between Mangalia and Ovidiu to escape the pursuers. The van with bulgarian license plates belongs to one of the dog catchers hired by the townhall of Mangalia, and the volunteers say that he has no permit from DSV.

Eventually, one of the individuals accused of hunting dogs admitted that he transports animals. He declared that he has 6 or 7 dogs in the back and that they are destined to guard sheep. The contract with the townhall of Mangalia says that stray animals should be taken to Mangalia biobase. The healthy ones are sterilized and set free, the sick ones are killed. Tired of the authorities, the volunteers protested outside the City of Mangalia. Representatives of said institutions reject the accusations.

"It is a contract with a specialized company that deals with taking the stray dogs off the streets. We must gather all the stray dogs from this resort until summer comes", said Cristian Radu, mayor of Mangalia.

NGO members filled several complaints at the police station"

Original link. 

Lawyers for Animals, representing Paws2Rescue, takes legal actions against ASPA

In Romania, legitimized slaughter of homeless animals is taking place for their simple crime of having been born. Death is palpable and a source of revenue feeding the endemic corruption which is woven into the fabric of Romanian society. Authorities act without regard to moral standards or even law.

ASPA, the authority responsible for catching and delivering the animals for slaughter, consistently acts with impunity knowing that within Romania few will challenge their illegal practices... and few do. To Western eyes: anathema. In Romania: normal.

Yesterday, 1st of May, 2014, an ‘historic’ meeting took place. A meeting which determined that the wind of justice would change and for the first time ASPA would be challenged on an international dimension.

A month ago they ‘raided’ a shelter controlled by Vier Pfoten. Co-existing and liasing with VP were a group supported by Paws2Rescue, a UK NGO (http://www.occupyforanimals.org/romania---aspa-raided-a-private-shelter-and-the-adjucent-clinic-of-vier-pfoten-in-bucharest-on-21st-of-march-2014.html).

Some of their dogs were killed...LFA will allege illegally.
Property was destroyed... LFA will allege illegally.
Both animals and people were traumatized... LFA will allege unnecessarily... and illegally.

This initiative radically changes the dimension of challenge: a UK NGO Lawyers for Animals, who are supported by the biggest animal protection organisation in the world, WSPA, will represent another UK NGO, Paws2Rescue, to enact a legal challenge against a Romanian authority.

This has never been done before.

But the dimension expands in that, that any resistance, any inhibition of legal process by the Romanian judicial system allows two additional and new elements:

Firstly, WSPA will take reports of such inhibited enactment of process of law to their various powerful lobby groups in the EU, the Council of Europe and the OIE.

Secondly, EU Law can be invoked to create a challenge from the United Kingdom thereby negating and bypassing any inhibitive or corrupt practices within the Romanian judicial system.

History was made yesterday... and the wind changed direction. And now blows down the dark corridors where power and corruption have lain stagnant for far too long!

And the message which now goes forth: this is only the beginning!

In this picture (from left to right):

LFA Lawyer Mihnea Tufescu,
LFA director Malcolm Plant,
Paws2Rescue Romania-Representative Ioana Iordana

The Stray Dog In Romania - by Michael Bird

For the past two years I have been working as a journalist making a film about Romania’s problem with stray dogs. The east European nation has millions of the animals prowling the streets, hotels, car parks, blocks of flats and even the backyard of Parliament and along the corridors of a children’s hospital.

A UK national, for nearly a decade I have been a resident of the capital Bucharest, where the dogs are part of the fabric of the city. So together with a local production team, we felt it was necessary to record on film the phenomenon of a capital in the European Union still plagued by wild animals.

We talked to animal and social experts about this environmental disaster, chased dogs through the streets, talked to victims and were attacked by a pack of strays in an abandoned playground. Often I would hear extraordinary stories about animals and their relationship with Romanians, but few of these could be demonstrated for the camera. Some included the low-cost methods county councils used to kill them, such as injecting the dogs with vinegar or burying them alive in limestone. But there were incredible stories about the dogs, including how they could use the buses, trams and underground trains – one dog (now deceased) could slip under the barriers at the Metro station, negotiate the stairs and enter the train, moving between two different stations every day to a place where she could find food.

However these dogs were close to extinction at the beginning of the last decade. In Bucharest, the mayor decided to organize a mass-slaughter of the dogs. This move would have been simple in a time of Totalitarianism, where the people rarely took a public stance against the police. But in a time of a fresh democracy, where the public were exercised at attacking the forces of order, this would prove difficult to manage. Added to this was a huge problem that continues to undermine Romania’s development—the fact that a scary number of people in public service and business are on the take.

There was this one block in Bucharest where a dog lived. He was a fat and shabby mongrel who sat at the front entrance, eating leftovers thrown out of the windows by the residents. Fed many times a day by different families, he lived a content life, sunning himself outside in the summer and finding a home in the basement of the block during the freezing winter.

But, with the mayor’s decision, a city dog catcher visited the block with a mandate to catch and kill the animal. The fat creature put up little resistance as he was trapped inside a metal loop and taken to the city pound to receive a lethal injection. When one of the residents of the block—an elderly woman—realized he was gone, she visited the pound to plead with the dog catchers to let him go. They were intransigent until she reached in her pocket, pulled out her purse and produced a few notes—worth about ten dollars—to take him home. Within half an hour the dog was back in his usual position, waiting for his next meal.

Now the dog catcher figured he was on to a good deal. Once a month he would visit the block, threaten to take the animal away and the pensioner would have to muster a ten dollar bribe to keep the dog alive.

But one afternoon, the dog catcher found the woman was not at home. Instead another elderly pensioner who fed the dogs was sitting outside in her dressing gown, cuddling the filthy animal. He asked her for money and there was an argument, but soon she agreed to provide him ten bucks to leave empty-handed.

The dog catcher began to increase the regularity of his visits. He would come back every week at a different time and encounter a different person caring for the dog and solicit a payment. If they refused he would seize the animal, chuck him in the back of his van and lock him up in the pound. Someone from the block would have to come up with the cash to save the creature from the needle.

The dog catcher ended up pocketing around 100 dollars per month—close to the then average salary in Romania—for the job of threatening to kill one animal. If dog catchers were replicating this pattern across a city of two million people, with around a thousand blocks, each with their own resident dogs, there was scope for a 1.2 million-dollar-a-year black market. It’s possible that corruption saved thousands of vagabond canines.

This is a story I heard in many places across many cities in the country. Unfortunately on camera I could never catch someone taking or giving a bribe, but I thought this was a great example of how a society was failing in a surreal fashion—by doing nothing but sitting outside a block of flats, getting fat, wagging his tail and being friendly to anyone with a bag of bones, the stray dog in Romania had become a currency.

Source: http://www.loopletters.com/the-stray-dog-in-romania/

Please WATCH the DOCUMENTARY "Man's best friend", produced by Michael Bird, at:

http://vimeo.com/74578670

and please read also Michael's article "Ten reasons why Romania’s proposed mass-kill of millions of stray dogs won’t work and two reasons why it might" on our website, at:

http://www.romaniatourism.biz/#!mans-best-friends/c1edx

 

Whistleblowers expose ASPA

Original link.

See Translation below.

4 former dog catchers in Bucharest have debunked yesterday the violent methods of catching stray dogs, accusing the leadership of ASPA that bound them to catch as many animals regardless of the methods without having to provide a minimal training. They revealed that sometimes the dogs stood and 14 hours in machines up to download, and some of them were killed at the shelter because of the extremely harsh treatment. Regardless of whether your animal settle the ASPA 219 euro/animal captured.

To these accusations, Coordinator of the ASPA, Răzvan Băncescu retorted that "trapping methods are not the most elegant, but are the laws". FOUR PAWS calls for SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS to interfere and verify the "legality" of such methods that lead to the death of animals. We remind that according to the law, wounding and maiming of dogs is strictly forbidden during the capture.

Former dog catchers of the Bucharest City Hall disclosed yesterday the brutal methods used for capturing the stray dogs and accused the Authority for domestic Surveillance and Animal Protection (ASPA) to force them to capture as many dogs as possible, without tranquilisers, without proper instructions and generally regardless of the methods used. They also said that the dogs were spending even 14 hours inside the vans befor being discharged to the public dog pounds and some of them were already dead because of the violent treatment. No matter the physical condition of the animals, the three private companies hired by ASPA were charging over 50 euros per captured animal.

The ASPA coordinator, Rachid Baba, replied that "the capturing methods are not the most elegant, but they're according to the law". FOUR PAWS ask the National Veterinarian Authority Sanitarian to check the "withthe" of these deadly methods, reminding that, according to the law, hurting the animals during capture is strictly forbidden. 

By now over 8,000 stray dogs were captured by ASPA catchers. 3000 of them were already killed.

Romanian public dog pounds abusing dogs.

Watch the video here.

A new shocking video filmed inside the public dog pounds of Bucharest (Kendrick and Maharaj) and broadcasted by the media shows the extremely cruel treatment of these animals, which are beaten, badly handled and left to die in agony by the city hall employees. The dogs has tortured "for fun" and, according to the wintesses, one of the veterinarians of publid dog pound Maharaj was dubbed "Dr. Mengele" because of his sadistic methods. FOUR PAWS filed complaints to the Police, the National Veterinarian Authority and the City Hall of Bucharest asking to investigate and punish all the people responsible of these atrocities, including the heads of the Authority for domestic Surveillance and Animal Protection (ASPA) which are breaking the law at daily basis.

Mayor of Constanta Radu Peas Arrested.

Original link to the story.

‪#‎Romania‬ ‪#‎Constanta‬

Mayor of Constanta Radu Peas was arrested Tuesday night for 24 hours. DNA prosecutors accuse of having taken bribes totalling 175,000 euros from Avraham Morgenstern - a representative of the company that built the campus social housing "Henri Coanda".

In reply to retain mayor, several dozen people gathered in front of City Hall Constanta starting at 10:45. According to Tuesday, protesters came mainly from Henri Coanda social campus. They yells racist chants "Freedom", "We want the mayor", "peas, peas", "We want to Bucharest". Some protesters sheets with slogans such as "DNA, Henri Coanda will fight", "The wind, the rain, Chioru he beat" (spelling it added).

It is not the first protest for release of peas. Tuesday night, more than a hundred residents of campus social Henri Coanda have held a rally to support the mayor of Constanta. One of the protesters said, according to Mediafax, the shares will continue every day until Radu Peas released. The protesters plan to gather signatures to initiate a bill to hold them accountable on magistrates who commit criminal acts.

Radu Peas, arrested Tuesday night for 24 hours.

Prosecutors say that in exchange of 175,000 euros, the mayor of Constanta had intervened for that company to win the tender and increase thereafter, the contract value, with almost 900,000 euros .

Along with Radu Peas was arrested and Avraham Morgenstern, who prosecutors accused of bribery. They will arrive Wednesday in front of magistrates proposing preventive arrest .

" We built the cheapest of Romania houses for the poor and look what I got, shame Basescu! " - Pea said to journalists, gathered in front of the DNA.

Anticorruption prosecutors argue that the 175,000 euros were given into several installments. Then, the money would follow a hidden circuit through accounts belonging to companies off shore accounts in banks abroad, known juridisctii restrictive conditions on international judicial cooperation in criminal matters. For the money, Radu Peas carried out a series of steps that are the responsibility his duties as initiating local council decision, which was favored trading company represented by Avraham Morgenstern. But increasing procurement contract by nearly 900,000 euros, say the investigators, at the request of Abraham 

Morgenstern. The latter was also detained, prosecutors accusing him of bribery.

Radu Pea DNA

Henri Coanda social campus were built before 906 housing for needy people, the investment amounting to 31 million lei . Tuesday night, more than 100 people who live there took to the streets to support it Radu Peas.

Tuesday morning, his house was visited by Radu Peas masked. Investigators were searching for documents, and other evidence in support of the criminal case opened on behalf of the mayor. Pea however, was not at home, but at Bucharest, where he participated in a forum on tourism. Investigators have found a terrace Herastrau Peas. Surrounded by fighters of special forces, the mayor has raised large documents on a table and followed at the DNA. While waiting for his lawyers, Pea smoked and drank coffee at the window of the institution, where he greeted journalists.

Radu Peas

It is the 4th open investigation on behalf Radu Peas. In the first three being investigated in connection with the return of land.

Pea is mayor for 14 years and leader of the PSD Constanta branch 10. During this time his men won all elections, local europarlametare and against competitors. Wednesday, with Avraham Morgenstern, Pea will go before magistrates proposal for preventive detention . This file should be targeted and an MP, judicial sources said Tuesday. And for this reason, proposals for preventive detention shall be settled by the Supreme Court.

Chronology of events on Tuesday, April 8, 2014:

TIME 11:22 p.m. Radu Pea DNA was detained by prosecutors after he was questioned for several hours at the headquarters of the institution. The mayor will be presented the court with a proposal for preventive detention.

19:00 "Radu Pea does not refute. Na reached the DNA with floats, but the gendarmerie vans and initially seem very affected. then relaxed, enjoyed a coffee on one of the windows of the DNA, where it has sent to journalists that his lawyer still waiting. Na gave declarations, but welcomed the jovial journalists. At the end of the day, it may be issued an apprehension order. charges are not clear, but it talks about bribery and influence peddling " , sent the News Pro TV correspondent, Ovidiu Oanta . 17:00 DNA Searches made by prosecutors to City Hall Constanta and Mamaia home Radu Peas ended Tuesday afternoon at 17:00, after about nine hours, leaving investigators with several boxes of documents. Deputy Constanta, Decebal Fagadau said at the end of the search, the authorities have made available to prosecutors all requested documents related to the construction of social housing district "Henri Coanda". He added that investigators were asked, among other things, decisions by the City Council on this campus and building permits. The deputy said the mayor's office was searched and Radu Peas, but that prosecutors " did not find anything there "and City Secretary's office, Marcela Enache, without activity being disrupted City Hall. " I'm also surprised that we have not asked us to send these documents. really I did mention that if you want more information we provide. speak of public documents, decisions of local council approvals and building autotizatii. These documents have been raised in the original , "the deputy said. At around 17.00, anticorruption prosecutors concluded and searches made at the home of the Mother of Pea, where they were raised also several documents.

15:50 Radu Peas mask was raised outside a restaurant in Herastrau, where he was taken to the DNA. those who went up to him and Radu Peas presented its documents based on which the action occurs . After reading the documents, the table on the restaurant terrace Pea went accompanied by masked. 15:00 Pea Radu was brought to the National Anticorruption a van to investigators, being flanked by masked to the entrance of the DNA. Asked if he is afraid of prison, Radu Peas said:

"I'm not afraid of jail, only God." chief prosecutor DNA Codruta Kovesi, said Tuesday that he was prosecuted in case they were made several searches, among them the mayor's house Radu Peas, adding that this case relates to facts within the competence of the Department. "It is a case tool for prosecutors in the central structure of the National Anti corruption Directorate. During the morning were made approximate 12 house searches to certain individuals and a public institution, "said Codruta Kovesi. chief prosecutor DNA did not specify which existing charges in this case, saying only that the object file within the competence aims facts Directorate.

08:00 DNA prosecutors started this morning at City Hall searches shares Constanta Mayor Radu Peas at home. It is a file that acts of corruption are concerned.

Searches are only at the two addresses, namely City Hall Constanta and Mamaia Pea Radu home, located on Lake Ovidiu. Constanta City Hall representatives sent Tuesday morning, a press release stating that searches DNA prosecutors made at the headquarters of the district includes the construction of social housing in the city, Henry Coanda, investigators requesting documents related to the project. The paper presents details of the project district "Henri Coanda" and that in the first phase were built 906 homes for people in need, the facilities mentioned in that each studio or apartment. The press release also states that the investment is about 31 million lei.

" The documents requested by prosecutors are prepared and will be delivered shortly to the DNA , "also mentioned in the press release sent by the City Constanta.

DNA announced Tuesday that prosecutors do searches at 12 addresses in Constanta, Bucharest and Dambovita, including on the premises of a public institution, in a case in which I do research on corruption offenses allegedly committed in 2011 -2013, running with leadership. "Prosecutors National

Anticorruption Directorate - Department for Combating Corruption Offences related crimes conducts a criminal case, aiming suspicion of having committed, during 2011-2013, of corruption offenses and assimilated to corruption by public servants with leadership positions in local , "reads a press release from the DNA.

According to him, following authorization by the court, are made searches at 12 addresses in Constanta, Bucharest and Dambovita, one of which was the seat of a public institution. In this case, prosecutors have received expert support from the Romanian Intelligence Service and Gendarmerie Special Intervention Brigade.

Ponta's reaction about DNA searches Radu Peas

Victor Ponta

PSD leader Victor Ponta commented premier short information searches on DNA prosecutors started when Mayor Radu Peas.

He said "I do not think 7.4 million fail to November "on the number of people who voted to dismiss President Basescu.

Also, the PSD leader said he has a high opinion Radu Peas, like most citizens of Constanta, and claimed that in 2012, after a referendum for dismissal of

President Traian Basescu, "has set off a wave of investigations" that USL is not voted in December. "searches will be everywhere. I have the same position, namely in 2012, after a referendum on that wave of surveys to the idea that, in December, they will not vote for USL and have voted., and now will vote for us. Radu Pea is a man I greatly appreciate, that has been voted many times by citizens Constanta and hold everyone else " said Tip.

Asked whether such DNA accuses political pressure, Ponta said that this is the interpretation of the media and he just said he has a high opinion Radu Peas, like most citizens Constanta.

Social housing scandal in Constanta

Constanta Mayor Radu Peas, said, on March 24, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) it targets a new investigation on how it was built social housing neighborhood in city hall asking prosecutors several documents related investment, totaling seven million.

" I'll show you today how to make independent and impartial judiciary in the Republic of Basescu. We here address received from the DNA on behalf of the Local Council Administration building which was occupied by Henri Coanda in this neighborhood that we are asked to DNA Bucharest following file resolution, other file I was sending to March la25 purchase agreement and all related documents public procurement procedure relating to this contract, the district bitter Henri Coanda "said then Radu Peas in a conference sustained release social neighborhood.

He said he built the cheapest in Romania, but nevertheless DNA prosecutors check him all over him.

" In Constanta, we built the cheapest in Romania and I still contruiesc, to finish with all the people who are on the street, Basescu DNA controls me and accusing me and the Videanu, which bought ten times more expensive, it has absolutely nothing to do. That impartial justice., I want to ask them so these prosecutors: "Well, indeed, men, May I ask where did you think I even commission and steal 270 euros per square meter, the more we build here? ".'s normally something that happens in this country? Instead Basescu to call and take and build model across Romania as i build here as Not to be people sleeping on the street, they come to investigate me. That country. Here are all the documents that go to DNA to verify today ", said Radu Peas, who said he had not yet been heard in this case.

Asked if knows in how many cases is being investigated by DNA, Pea said she can not keep them count.

"I do not know how many files that can not hold them count.'m Like Buddhist monks. Buddhist monks are not monks like ours for life. They come, they put orange robe and monks as they stand after coming out civilians. so are my files: appear, disappear, open, close it, I can not hold them number " , added peas.

Constanta Mayor said, on April 1, as the criminal records you aim and pull the big port operators, "millionaires" who pay very little land and nearly all "have connections with former or current security".

"Yesterday I had an epiphany and I realized where the frenzy of the prosecutors in our head at Constanta. From the Port, from there we shoot for port operators, the large port millionaires, pay very less novel state land rents paid 20 years ago, paying $ 0.02 per square foot. Harbour when to auction now, to auction 10 times more. All these operators are individuals who have some privatized former state companies and nearly all have ties to former or current security , "said Radu Peas.

Mayor of Constanta given in this example Chimpex society, "which all traffic for Sidex ore from Romania."

" It was privatized in 1997 and was bought by Bali International Group, whose representative in Romania was General Stanculescu and General Dan Dragoi. general boy Dan Dragoi is the former Finance Minister Bogdan Dragoi, current advisor to Basescu., and I can May also give examples of how many companies you want., for example, the drilling platform and all discussions, Basescu's friend, where he was to visit him on the platform, which has now taken a big loan from the CEC for a new platform, another port operator, with high-ranking relations among services and the President " , said the mayor of Constanta.

Pea Radu said that the main fear is that the actions port port operators will loosen and be removed from stock.

" They are scared, primarily private, which will have 34 percent, which would put tiny profits and rents they pay these millionaires in port, for 20 years, Romanian state , "said Radu Peas .

Radu Peas and Victor Ponta

Radu Pea DNA is investigated in three cases related to land restitution , and in 2008 he was indicted for corruption prosecutors, along with other people, all in a folder with restitution, judging it to the Court of Appeal .

Constanta City Hall completed last summer the neighborhood social housing and the inauguration last block was present Prime Minister Victor Ponta. The neighborhood consists of 17 blocks, which house 906 - 339 studio apartments, 396 two-bedroom apartments and 171 three-bedroom apartments. in the 17 blocks home to about three thousand people. The total investment is about 7 million.

Radu serious Pea 2001

Who is Radu Pea

was born on July 5, 1968. In 1991 he graduated from the Navy Civil Constanta, after participating in the 1989 Revolution. During the same period became known as the leader of the League of Students Civil Marina Institute, and the founder and editor of one of the first independent weekly that appeared after the revolution.

Pea In the '90s he built a holding company with print media, TV and radio and has become one of the most popular figures in Constanta. He arrived in Parliament in 1996, but a year later he resigned from the PD. In 2000 he ran for mayor as an independent and won with 66% of the vote, re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

Radu Pea African king

In 2003, Radu Peas joined the SDP and became one of the leading figures of the party. Relationship with the party was but tense, Pea repeatedly threatening to withdraw from the PSD, because the party needs to win elections.

Meanwhile, Pea has built an extremely strong personal brand became famous for its disguises: Spartan Louis XIV, the Turkish sultan but Nazi officer - an outfit that made him known in the media worldwide.

Radu Peas Spartan

Pea displays the models, driving luxury cars, spend even a month per year in Brazil and extreme sports, creating a unique image among Romanian politicians. Made famous but the lack of respect for fellow policy: for example, Titus Corlatean, the current foreign minister, to branded a "sissy crybaby".

View a video portrait of the mayor of Constanta:

Recent years have brought problems but also mayor. They started from the Attorney Daniel Morar, Pea's vision, "chief slugoiul DNA". Since then, land scandals were held chain - without the impedance, otherwise the peas to consolidate its power in the city and, recently, in the port of Constanta, the second largest in Europe, which the Government intends to it subordinated hall pass. 

Head of ASPA, shocking statements: NGO's illegally transport dogs in other countries for bestiality

ASPA chief made shocking allegations about the NGO's that deal with the adoption and protection of the stray dogs. Razvan Bancescu argues that NGOs illegally transport stray dogs from Romania to other countries where the dogs are used for bestiality.

The head of ASPA claims that after the dogs are taken off the streets, they are loaded into trucks and taken abroad, where they are subjected to sexual abuse. These are not just isolated cases, says Bancescu, but a whole industry of zoophilia.

"Some get adopted, so that is a success, some end up in temporary shelters from where they are redistributed as needed. Whether for clinical trials or for other adoptions, but we don't know if that really happens, or for zoophilia. (...) Yes, yes, bestiality", said Razvan Bancescu, according to Romania TV.

Thursday night, 400 stray dogs were transported from Bucharest to other countries like Germany, Sweden and Finland. Behind this transport are around 20 NGOs.

Source:

http://www.romaniatv.net/seful-aspa-declaratii-socante-ong-urile-transporta-ilegal-caini-in-strainatate-pentru-zoofilie_136995.html

 

ASPA stole a dog from an old woman with semi-paralysis

Original video in romanian: Description below: "On 03.04.2014 an old woman with semi-paresis was walking with her dog in IOR park Bucharest, Romania. 3 cars full with dogs catchers\killers arrived there and stolen the woman dog. The dog wasn't find in any of the public shelter who belong to ASPA. The people you see in the video are very sick, the woman is with depression and semi-paresis and her husband has a very serious heart disease operated with bypass. They had all the proves that the dog belonged to them he was adopted and now the dog in not in any public shelter. They were even accused by the leader of Mihailesti "shelter" that they sell the dog and now they try to recover him. When they called at the ASPA the phone was hanged up on them. The leaders of ASPA are still in their functions although there are proves that they broke the law. ASPA is the public authority who kills stray dogs. ASPA is subordinated to the Bucharest City Hall ruled by Sorin Oprescu the mayor of Bucharest. ASPA is ruled by Bogdan Treeroiu and Razvan Bancescu who is the godson of Sorin Oprescu, doesn't have studies necessary to rule this authority and he and the other two heads of ASPA are under the investigation of DNA -- National Anticorruption Directorate for a prejudice of 1.000.000 euros. Against Sorin Oprescu, Bogdan Treeroiu and Razvan Bancescu are made many criminal complaint because dogs catcher, private dogs catchers actually who receive 50 euros/dog, stolen many dogs with owners. They used an unorthodox method to count the numbers of dogs from Bucharest and they decided that the number is 65.000 dogs. Due to the fact that dog catchers broke the law by violating private properties with the help of police officers to steal the dogs, by stealing the dogs with owners or entering in private shelters to steal the dogs, we all think that these 65.000 dogs only exists in houses of people, not on streets. Due to the fact that the budget for catching and killing stray dogs is huge this year (2014) -- almost 7.000.000 euros, they do all their best to use them even if they have to steal dogs from the arms of the owners. We are very worried that they broke the law using the police officers who in fact are paid to protect us, not to abuse us. Last news was that killing stray dog will be made secret, to give them all the power to abuse animals and people who own the dogs and to steal our money. This is all done with the agreement of our country leaders because they all use their silence to approve this. Similar cases were in Constanta and they seem to expand all over the country because people fear for their lives. We demand the intervention of EU authorities to stop the mass killing of stray dogs and the abuses against animals and people. We must tell you that the other measures to neuter and register dogs with owner was postponed for another year, after 25 years authorities killed hundreds of thousands of dogs without results, not taking real measures to stop and punish abandonment of dogs. The person who conducted this interview (Daniel Tomescu) was banned to enter in public shelters belonging to ASPA because he recorded all the abuses of ASPA's leaders. All public shelters are funded by our money, but they act like they own those places."

The translation of the 48 minute video interview that Razvan Bancescu gave to Lucian Mindruta on 24.03.2014

Original video in Romanian:

http://www.gandul.info/magazin/cine-toaca-banii-pentru-cainii-maidanezi-explicatiile-lui-razvan-bancescu-seful-aspa-in-exclusivitate-la-schimba-vorba-12323954

0:00 Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Glad to have you today on "Schimba Vorba".

Tonight our guest is Razvan Bancescu, project coordinator at ASPA.

First of all, lets remind people where we are (regarding the stray dogs problem)

A couple of days ago a woman was found dead and bitten.

The doctors from I.M.L. didn't figure out yet if she died because she was too drunk or from the bites. She had a 4 promille alcohol concentration in her blood.

On the other hand the woman was found bitten by a pack of stray dogs.

00:51 Razvan Bancescu: I don't know it if was a pack. She was behind a bench in the park.

So the dogs were in a park.

00:58 Bancescu: Yes

So they lived there.

Yes

So after all of this ASPA got into this and started with banning people from adopting stray dogs. On Aspa's website there's a long list that i published on my facebook with the people who are not allowed to adopt anymore. Why aren't they allowed to adopt anymore?

1:25 Razvan Bancescu We would wish the list to be final, to not find anymore cases of abandoned stray dogs (from those taken from ASPA shelters). What we can prove regarding abandonment we posted online

How do you prove people took dogs and abandoned them?

Razvan Bancescu: We have declarations from people who adopt stray dogs, who contain identification and microchip of the dog and who said they will take the dog to a certain address but we either found the dog in the streets (we recaptured them) or we found them at a different address which was not mentioned initially.

2:06 How many dogs are involved in this?

Razvan Bancescu: there are over 160 dogs that we found on the streets.

The list contains people that adopted large numbers of  dogs (110, 120, 172 dogs), like Mrs. Pahomi, the woman who was the holder of some of the dogs involved in this case.

3:03 What is the legal right of ASPA for doing this?

Razvan Bancescu: It's more of a moral right regarding this situation. We can't finish our program if we have these kind of situations.

It's a neverending story like this.

4:57 What's the plan? How did you decide to resolve this issue (the stray dog problem) considering there are dogs on the streets that bite, attack,etc.

Razvan Bancescu 5:09 These measures were drawn up at the end of 2012 and approved in may 2013 by the General council. It's not the death of Ionut in september that determined to take action.

Razvan Bancescu :In 2012 and before there weren't much money at our disposal. But with the new council decisions and the law at the end of 2013 and the publication of the norms....

So you are the dogs catchers also, right?

Razvan Bancescu :Yes, there's no shame about that.

How many people call each day?

Razvan Bancescu: 40 - 45 people and also aprox. 20-25 written petitions. So almost 60 in total.

How many criminal complaints do you get daily from NGO's?

We don't have those daily yet, but we are not far away from it.

Do you have a legal right to do this? The NGO's accuse you that you don't have any right

Razvan Bancescu: For them, anything that comes against their mission is an abuse.

Do you have anything against the protection of animals?

7:06 No, of course not, i have 3 dogs, 1 is a stray dog.

We don't handle 200-300 dogs as shown on TV on RSPCA, handled with care, with gloves, taken in arms.  We catch over 200 dogs daily.

question from the public: What studies do the dog catchers have?

7:53: Sadly there is no school to train dog catchers, we train them. We strive, in all of this routine, to cause no harm.

 

8:14 There are images and videos (on which the NGO's base their accusations) that dogs are ill-treated.

Razvan Bancescu: No, all our equipment is homologated. The most traumatizing technique is the use of the catching pole. They are brought from the U.S. They can be tighten or loosen. It's their marketing.

9:08 There are sensitive people out there who don't agree with these methods. Your plan will never work if the NGO's don't agree with your catching techniques.

Razvan Bancescu: The projects has drawn out lines. The NGO's can adhere to them or not. They had enough time. If they want to help, they should do it regarding adoptions. But responsible adoptions, not just take dogs of because of fear of euthanasia and we find them in the streets again. This part is not negociable.

10:01 People talk about sterilization as a solution to this problem.

Razvan Bancescu:  Sterilization is nothing (dust) in regard to the situation we have now in Bucharest.

How many dogs are in Bucharest now?

Razvan Bancescu:  Over 40.000, We estimated using the extrapolation method. we count the dogs in an area during the day and during the night and we extrapolate that to the area of Bucharest.

40.000?

Well, we started from 65000 dogs. We caught about 12000 dogs until today.

Over half of them were adopted.

11:20  How can stray dogs suddenly appear on a street?

Razvan Bancescu: Dogs migrate in certain conditions from one territory to another. For example, after a couple of rains and depending on the wind direction these territories can change or intersect, but if 2 dogs suddenly appear and they seem confused it means someone brought them. We have this situations on a number of streets. With the help of the new budget we hope to acquire some video cameras and mount them in these areas where citizens report these kind of things.

There is a movie on the internet (shows the video from the ASPA raid in the vier pfoten shelter)

In this movie you enter on a private terrain.

Razvan Bancescu: No, the terrain belongs to ADP district 6

Why did you enter there?

Because the gates were opened for us by the legal owners of the land, District 6 town hall. They were notified of this. It's their problem if they decided to stay or not..i don't know. They had a protocol which also stipulated leaving that base (terrain).

But why did you go there? 

16:28 Yes, all sorts of things happen there, we had info regarding dog trafficking. We didn't know who those dogs belong to. There's an obligation that all dogs be registered.

What does dog trafficking mean? Sounds very weird...

Part of this involves adoptions and international adoptions made just so the dogs can be moved around.

In southern Italy for example they banned international adoptions because they couldn't control this. The Napoli, Sicilia areas.

Ok, so you went there, got the dogs...

Razvan Bancescu: We went there, got the dogs, put them in our vans...

Why?

Razvan Bancescu: Because they don't have any papers for them. If those dogs there get moved anywhere, or on the street i am at risk of being bitten or maybe worse and then we will search for who is guilty..

So they weren't microchipped?

18:15 Razvan Bancescu: just a part. From what i managed to scan on friday, from 40 dogs, only 12 were microchipped.

And these 12 that were microchipped belonged to...?

Razvan Bancescu: We can consider that those people that came to get them out today are their owners and we encourage adoptions, but we want to know (according to the law) who those dogs belong to.

Can NGO's  make partnerships with town halls to take care of the dogs?

18:38 Razvan Bancescu :There is the possibility to adopt. Anything more than this can hurt more, hurt the community. i can give you an example with the same NGO  that had a sterilization program with ASPA. A program dragged from 2010 up until 2012 that we finally started because it was good for us.

Why was it postponed?

Razvan Bancescu: They were gone in Sudan, Ukraine, The Danube delta,etc. Stray dogs counted only when elections came. We had a target, they came and made 20 sterilizations then went off to Sudan, came back and made another 20. We can't make things this way. We notified them to leave the room, they sued us, we won the lawsuit and we will evacuate them

Do you have something against these NGO's? People on facebook say that you are a criminal organization that steals the public money

Razvan Bancescu: there are good and bad town halls and there are good and bad NGO's

ASPA cooperates with other NGO's. We didn't find any problems with them so we will continue with them.

In the list we published there are only a part of the NGO's.

How many NGO's are in Bucharest that handle dogs?

20:46 Razvan Bancescu: Here there's a problem, many appear as NGO's but they don't have a fiscal code and they receive money from donations.

How do you know they receive money from donations?

Razvan Bancescu: Because we watched/followed the transactions on the internet. There are different types of donations. For the well being of the animals (i guess he means for food) and for the adoption preparations in other countries.

These donations should be made with an IBAN code and a SWIFT code. For 2 years since i monitor these, they are made through paypal addresses. I wanted to know why there is such a resistance to not resolve this problem in Bucharest.

I had problems with these NGO's even regarding sterilization.

These donations ended up in the paypal address of the owner of the NGO, for them to take care of the animals or getting them ready for transport.

You say you have evidence, shouldn't we have names also?

Shouldn't you take these evidences to the police?

20:25 Razvan Bancescu: No, there are institutions that received this information. They received this data in October last year.

If these were illegal, don't you think those institutions should have initiated some lawsuits?

23:19: There's a lot of data, we're talking about data gather in over 1 and a half years.

They are investigated by ANAF

I gave a report to the ministry of finances (in september last year) that included the number of NGO's that handled dogs in bucharest in 2001, and there were 7 then. Now there are 58 + 12 or so that don't have a fiscal code.

They don't pay taxes, deceiving, and working without papers.

Show host: But i think most of the NGO's are serious, real and take care of the dogs.

24:33 From our analysis 2001 - 2012, it all started with funds around  136000 euros for these NGO's in 2001 and in 2012, more than 2 million euros in Bucharest.

These money come from donations and international transfers and also the 230 form through which anyone can donate 2% of their taxes.

On what are these kind of money spent on?

Razvan Bancescu: Mainly marketing, meaning how to say that ASPA is not making it's duty, that we are corrupt, because they can't accept that situation of stray dogs in bucharest begins to be resolved. That's their business.

What was ASPA's budget last year?

Razvan Bancescu: 1.6 million euros.

What did you make with this money?

We continued to invest in the Mihailesti shelter, salaries, sanitary materials,veterinarians.

So you helped getting rid of how many dogs with these money?

6000 dogs last year.

Why do we build shelters for them when there is a law that says they must be killed if they aren't adopted?

27:50 Razvan Bancescu: We need them to administrate this problem. We need to catch over 180 dogs/day. We need space for them.

Adoptions help, they usually happen in the first 1,2,3 or 4 days after a dog has been caught.

(then they discuss a few seconds how adoptions rise and fall each month)

Then both he and the show host says that the demonstrations on the 8th of march were chosen badly because it was woman/mother's day and also about a banner that said "Who the fuck is Ionut?"

29:35 This is not how you find ways to communicate with us. There is nothing worse than what they did on the 8th of march.

From what i saw on facebook, there is a certain kind of people who love dogs that don't accept any other rational arguments. For them we are all criminals, they can't understand anything other than sterilizations...Can it be done without killing?

Razvan Bancescu: a wise man from history said "to try to make everyone happy you will fail". We need to satisfy 98.17% of people who live in Bucharest.

Nobody will say on the street that they agree with the killing. it's a taboo thing.

It's logical, there are thousands of dogs, what do we do with them? any lowering of the catching rate means more and more generations and we "feed" this marketing that caused us a lot of harm internationally

What does that mean?

Well, i got messages from the ambassadors from all over Europe about the demonstrations happening there. Their propaganda is full of lies.

What do they say about us?

31:40: Razvan Bancescu: That we started killing before the norms were out, that we kill everything no matter what, that we don't handle them with care. Pictures show up from the 90's, from other countries,etc

Show host: But they have a hero (he refers to Grivita) that dog that got mutilated,

32:12 Razvan Bancescu: I Don't know how it happens but the hero always shows up when they need to. From what i know about dogs, that dog was mutilated long before the killing law appeared. Dogs are naturally curious and keep getting their nose everywhere.

it looks like a petard did that, not a sword.

How many people take the law into their own hands? Do you find dogs that have been killed?

Razvan Bancescu: Yes, sadly we find dogs that are poisoned. We don't encourage that.

That's not how you resolve this issue.

i agree. i think the one who adopts and then abandons is guilty in the same way as that who takes the law into his own hands and kills.

Razvan Bancescu: The problem is the abandonment rate, and i am reffering here to dog breeds not only stray dogs. i saw aprox. 160 abandoned german shepards, rottweilers,cockers,etc in the last 3 months. A dog is not a gadget.

There are various reasons for abandonment: the changing of the status of the family (someone dies, someone gets sick, a child is born,etc), moving. Another special problem is with the dog breeders. There is no control over them. They breed in consanguinity even. These leads to diseases. I also had people phoned me to get them an exactly same dog as the one they had. Also the pet shops, it's not normal for dogs to be sold there.

Show host: Lets get back to stray dogs. I have the following problem. I ride my bike with my kid. I convince him very hard to do this because he is scared of dogs since when he was biten. We pass by a factory. From that yard, each day 6-7 dogs attack me, well..sort of, they bark at me. They don't catch me. i have speed and experience, but it's stressful and it is even more stressful with a child.

I got the phone number of the manager and called him and said to him to do something about this. These dogs are usually kept there by guards to help them during the night. What can i do as a citizen, attacked, against that company?

37:23 Razvan Bancescu: Yes, we have more than 20 of these cases a day. We go there, the dogs retreat on a private property and then the complaints start rolling.

By who? the companies?

No, by the guards helped by NGO's.

Show host: I used to work as a night guard at a factory and i had 2 dogs but i kept them in the shed/bay, they weren't getting out to bark at people in the tram station.

Razvan Bancescu: There are companies that let loose their dogs at night but during the day they keep them locked in kennels. This is what being responsible means. I never saw there a free dog during the day.

Show host: But what should i do if i get attacked at during the night?

Razvan Bancescu: The best way to do it is this: complaint to the police, the police writes to the administrator and the administrator contacts us and so we have the right to get in there.

Show host: But i don't have time to go to the police, to make a complaint...

Razvan Bancescu: That is why we are preparing a resolution of the general council through that will permit us to enter on terrains that permit the stray dogs to retreat there, or dogs from those terrains who come into the public space.

Show host:The NGO's will attack you that you are against the constitution.

Razvan: If they will give us 6 months we will resolve this. After we finish cleaning up the center of the town, we will go to the residential area.

This will be the next target, the dogs that live on the premises, who don't have papers. They retreat on private lands but do damages in public. Everything that concerns the public safety is not negociable.

Show host: i know a place with another pack of dogs, next to which a lady steps down from a very expensive car (more than 50000 euros) with a large bag of food. Suddenly from the open field 10+ dogs came. She was very happy, for her it was the greatest thing.

But what about us that come after her and don't have food?

Razvan Bancescu: Feeding the stray dogs is the biggest mistake one can make. last year we proposed to fine all those that feed dogs. All the NGO's yelled at us, they said it's illegal, mr. Vadim came, mr. Marinescu came...

Show host:  Mr. Marinescu should go knock on a door and ask if the child there has a piece of meat like that

42:22 Razvan Bancescu: He is not interested in that, it doesn't bring him notoriety.

I discussed this thing with some psychologists and i asked them why are people doing this: They said it's a substitute for endorphin and adrenaline.

It's sort of a maternal instinct transferred to the dog.

Show host:You can't fight with this. It's like with the drugs.

Bancescu: The feeding of stray dogs can only be resolved with the "stake", a metaphor for fines and strict regulations, this is how civilization begins.

By feeding them they socialize and form packs.

 

Over 90% of the attacks are made by sterilized dogs and people fed them\

Show host: I wonder if the person feeding the dogs feels he has a guilty conscience?

No, if he had a conscience he would have understood this.

Bancescu: When there are injured people we can only think with the mind (rationaly)

Show host: When i discuss with people on facebook all these rational arguments can't be understood by them.

Bancescu: As i said, you need a "stick", there is no other way.

Show host: I can't believe that...

Razvan Bancescu: In Berlin, in London, you get fined if you feed the pigeons. All that food is a source for other animals, rats for example, is about the safety of the town, it's a disease risk.

Show host: This year you have 3 times more money than last year, how much time until you resolve this problem? how long before i can  be sure that from my house to a park, i can go with my child, riding a bike, that i won't be attacked.

47:22 Razvan Bancescu: on the 31st of march 2015 this project will be finished, meaning 80% of the dogs will be caught and there will be less than 10% of the current bites reports. We now have 67% less bites than last year.

Show host: there is another thing that nobody cares about, all of these animals pee and poo on the street where we walk

Razvan Bancescu: We will have statistics regarding this from Victor Babes institute.

Show host: Thank you everyone for watching. Tonight we discussed about stray dogs with ASPA representative Razvan Bancescu. Tomorrow night....get ready for this...especially I...we will have as a guest a lady from CUTU CUTU association.