IMPORTANT. European Parliament Press Conference. Romania Criticized. PLEASE SHARE

Will our EU-Sleeping Beauty now wake up?

From Occupy For Animals 

Will our EU-Sleeping Beauty now wake up - at last - and take some serious action? Or will she send another love-letter to Basescu?

As you know, on December 4, 2013 a delegation of the European Parliament came to Romania and had some meetings with Romanian officials ANSVSA- Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety National Authority and the Mayor of Bucharest. The delegation members were assured that the law on dog management is a law on "adoption, not on "euthanasia" and the citizens had access to public shelters which were totally transparent and complying with the law

On January 28, the delegation returned to Romania in order to inform themselves on the situation directly on site by visiting as well dog shelters of the city halls.

The Delegation found that there was a major discrepancy between what the authorities had told them during their first visit and what they found on site during their second visit.

The Delegation has also received from us 12 reports about the situation from different towns in Romania and proves with regards at the abuses against stray dogs in the municipalities’ camps.

With regards at the SITUATION OF THE STRAY DOGS IN ROMANIA, MEP Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI, Vice-Chairman of the AGRI Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Animal Welfare Intergroup and MEP Andrea ZANONI, Vice-Chairman of the Animal Welfare Intergroup, will be hosting a PRESS CONFERENCE on Wednesday 12th February, 15:30, at Brussels, at European Parliament, Raoul Wallenberg Room - ASP5G2.

MEPs will present their reflections and conclusions and put forward plans, recommendations and possible initiatives in search of a solution on how to address the issue.

Please, see bellow the official information:

The Vice-Chairman of the AGRI Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Animal Welfare Intergroup, MEP Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI (ECR) together with the Vice-Chairman of the Animal Welfare Intergroup MEP Andrea ZANONI (ALDE) will be hosting a press conference on Wednesday 12th February in relation to their recent visit to Romania. MEPs will be addressing concerns regarding the situation of stray dogs in light of the recently adopted Stray Dogs Euthanasia Law by the Parliament of Romania aimed at culling the stray population. MEPs will present their reflections and conclusions and put forward plans, recommendations and possible initiatives in search of a solution on how to address the issue. More information will be presented at the press conference.

EU Supports Romanian Dog Slaughter. SHARE THIS VIDEO WIDELY PLEASE

EU-delegation visits Romania again - At last... someone switched the lights on!

January 28 - Delegation of the European Parliament to Romania face-to-face with the reality of the dog shelters owned by city halls.

After thousands of petitions addressed to the European Parliament from across Europe, which included, in addition to protests against the new law on killing dogs, claims of incidents of abuse against stray dogs and dogs living in deplorable shelter conditions, a delegation of the European Parliament came to Romania to investigate this issue.

The first visit, paid on December 4, 2013, was aimed at finding out the opinions of authorities on the situation of the stray dogs in Romania. Thus, during the meetings with representatives ANSVSA (and also with the Mayor of Bucharest), the delegation members were assured, among others, that the law on dog management was a law on "adoption, not on "euthanasia" and the citizens had access to public shelters which were totally transparent and complying with the law!

On Tuesday, January 28, 2014, the delegation of the European Parliament consisting of Janusz Wojciechowski, MEP deputy and vice president of the AGRI Committee, Dr. Karolina Tomaszewski, veterinarian and animal welfare consultant, and Magdalena Majerczyk, ECR Political Consultant, returned to Romania in order to inform themselves on the situation directly on site and they also included in their agenda some visits to dog shelters.

Unfortunately the weather in Romania during the last few days, with heavy snowfall and blizzard, caused the cancellation of some flights, therefore the time available to the delegation was reduced by half a day and only part of their planned agenda was possible; however, their shortened visit did reveal some of the realities of the dog industry.

The Delegation of the European Parliament was faced with the reality of the dog shelters owned by City Halls.

At 10:00 a.m., in the public dog shelter located in the village of Saristea and owned by Slatina City Hall, on whose gate was abusively written "Private Property. Access denied", there was no caring staff but a gatekeeper who had received orders not to allow anyone to enter.

To hide what could still be hidden from the European officials, the representatives of the City Hall acted in a more aggravated manner, rather than revealing that the situation behind the locked gates was cruel and illegal. They were embarrassed about sending a representative to the shelter (without whom the entry to the shelter was not allowed). Furthermore, they were embarrassed when I asked if the shelter belonged to the City Hall or was a private shelter. Probably all the interlocutors from the City Hall and the State Patrimony Administration did not know what would be appropriate to answer, so they spoke confusingly and finished with the eternal "I don' know".

Finally, we found out from the vice mayor, who was not in a position to say "I don' know", that the shelter belonged to Slatina City Hall.

The dog shelter of Slatina City Hall is managed by the same company, Iberia Velvet SRL, the constant partner of the City Hall, charging excessive prices settled by Slatina City Hall from the public money.

However, the "Shelter" which does not meet the minimum legal requirements, where dogs die in starvation, holds a sanitary and veterinary certificate issued by DSVSA (Sanitary- Veterinary and Food Safety Department) of Olt county!

The lamentable condition of the dogs sheltered there could be deduced even from the gate. Around a special cage where they kept a "protected" purebred dog, the snow was 1 m high and intact, meaning that in the last few days nobody had gone to that dog to feed it.This is the usual situation if we recall the personal observations and also the statements of those who have visited this "shelter" so far, whereby they noted that, except for exhausted dogs lacking water and food, the cages had nothing, not even water bowls! This cruelty applied to animals, which is shown in statements and photographs, was the reason of the criminal complaint made by FNPA in 2013 against the City Hall and also against Iberia Velvet SRL.

Moreover, the adoption of a dog from the shelter of Slatina City Hall seems to involve winding steps, without any effective result. In theory, adopting a dog would have been possible if you had first addressed to the City Hall, then to the State Patrimony Administration, where they asked you to fill in a lot of papers, and then you had come to the shelter, accompanied by a representative of the City Hall, to choose a dog.

The Delegation found that there was a major discrepancy between what the authorities had told them during their first visit and what they found on site during their second visit. The shelters owned by the City Halls are tightly closed, the animals are in distress and adoptions are made difficult if not impossible.

The Delegation will prepare a full report on the things observed, which they will submit to the European Parliament and to the European Commission and will also make it public.

In the added pictures you can read the letter written by the two MEPs, Janusz Wojciechowski and Andrea Zanoni, containing the conclusions of their first visit paid on December 4, 2013.

Written by Dr Carmen Arsene (originally in Romanian)

A True Hero. Claudiu Dumitriu's speech in Brussels, 28 Oct. 2013

Claudiu Dumitriu (vice president of FNPA )'s speech at The First Conference on welfare of dogs and cats in the EU- Building a Europe that cares for animals. This is a superb speech. Please listen carefully to this man. He did a fantastic job. Thankyou Mr Dumitriu. The full conference can be viewed here.

Animal Welfare Intergroup - Europe's Sleeping Beauty?

Read the Huffington Post article here.

Starving and dead dogs but Romanian Government releases broad plan on spending EUR 43 billion of European funds in 2014-2020 window

The Romanian Government has released its first version of how it wants to spend about EUR 43 billion in European cash expected to be allocated in the 2014-2020 funding window.

After months of collaboration between government ministries as well as the Inter-institutional Committee for the development of the Partnership Agreement (CIAP), the European Funds Ministry released its Partnership Agreement 2014-2020 last week.

The document identifies Romania’s development needs and priorities put forward for funding during 2014-2020. Continue reading here.

Romania, threatened with exclusion from the European Union if stray dogs will be slaughtered

Translated from Original Link here.

Representatives of the International Animal Life in Switzerland announced that they are totally against the law 258/2013, which allows euthanasia or unclaimed stray dogs have been adopted within 14 days. They say they will opt out of Romania in the European Union when the authorities of our country will not take action and will not stop euthanasia stray animals.

Moreover, they argue that the only effective solution for managing and addressing mass sterilization of stray dogs is their, not killing them. "Law 258/2013 is against the European Convention ratified by Romania and clearly contradicts EU rules on animal protection," it said in a statement sent by representatives of Animal Life, inform truth.

They also say that euthanasia destroy morality and human dignity of affecting physical and psychological welfare of society, denying the constitutional right to physical and mental integrity.

In addition to the appeal made by the authorities of our country, representatives of the Association and the European Parliament urged the European Commission to take a firm stand and use all legal options to stop penhtru "massacre of dogs" in our country.

Driving Animal Life said if Romania will continue "abuse of power" and will not try to stop the law allowing euthanasia quadrupeds stray require exclusion of our country in the European Union.

To the "EU Sleeping Beauty":

Post by Occupy for Animals.

The Dog Mafia and the EU Sleeping Beauty

Under the watchful eye of the European Unions Animal Welfare Intergroup, the heinous crimes described in this documentary occurred . This short but brilliant documentary describes the disgraceful cruelty dogs have been subjected to for many many years. Are the EU powerless to stop it? Of course, not, they merely turn a blind eye and hope the evidence will be buried under some memory bank, never to be seen again. The Animal Welfare Intergroup is essentially Sleeping Beauty. It never wakes up in an emergency. While Romania is suffering a blood bath of canines, the Eurogroup is happily tweeting their fairy tales. Dogs die yet this group is happy to bask in the glow of tax payers money. 

Blănculescu : Animal lovers living a nightmare , the EU is horrified

The reason why Romania is not held to account.

The most interesting aspect of this tale is that Occupy For Animals disclosed an interesting fact.  Eurogroup's Vice President in Romania [Daciana Sarbu] [Animal Welfare Intergroup] [ the people who could do something about the disastrous situation in Romania] is married to Victor Ponta [Prime Minister of Romania]. Romania of course is now operating on media spin since their poor animal rights record is now circulating world-wide in glorious technical via protests, the internet and other sources.

Allegations of potential bias and conflict of interest were made against the Eurogroup on Animal Welfare by animal activists. In the meantime, Ponta has been attempting to offer tamer views and crocodile tears. Firstly, none of us believe him and secondly if he really believed that dogs were treated terribly then he would do something about it and not just talk about it. Just like a typical politician, he press releases tales to the media yet there is no action. We understand that his wife is under fire from the public. Now, according to this article,  the EU is horrified and surprise surprise, it is one of the advisors to the Prime Minister. Are they positioning themselves to pretend they did not know about the animal neglect and cruelty that has happened for many many years. Is the EU saying they did not know about the slaughter of 240 dogs in Bostosani in 2011? If so then are we to assume the EU doesn't pay much attention?

The fact is, his wife is under fire and if the Eurogroup understood about fairness, they would fire her or encourage her to resign. Her position is now untenable. It taints the work of the Eurogroup on Animal Welfare and naturally I am going to make the allegation that they failed to act due to the influence of Daciana Sarbu and this is the reason they failed to act. As a lip service effort, on World Animal Day, they press released this. A press release neatly written and worded is not "action". Until investigations and audits are instigated on Romania, this group will continually be criticized for failing to act. Their inaction has cost the innocent lives of millions of canines.

Written Pretzel Roxana / October 3, 2013 0:25 . This is translation by Google Translator from the original link that can be found here. 

Ionel Blănculescu economist , one of the advisors of Prime Minister Victor Ponta , described on his blog , terrible situation in Romania , generated by killing stray dogs .

Blănculescu : Animal lovers living a nightmare EU oripilatăCuvintele written by Ionel Blănculescu they can not be recast. These are the words of a man in a world where humanity involves love for animals. Here's some of what he wrote Ionel Blănculescu :

"There is a very deep rift in Romanian society , between half of the population and half animal lover , animal lovers of ADEPT final solution to solve a major problem that the company faces . The population is divided , and the hatred between the two halves is horrendous . But besides this feeling of mutual hatred , which I think Romania is not needed at this stage of its development on a global crisis fund seemed endless , cooperation and solidarity but rather defining dimensions necessary thing happened extremely regrettable , affecting half of the population loving animals , loving people. It is a truth that needs to be proved , who loves animals , loves people , who does not love animals does not love any people , the latter are the ones who actually do the most harm people , society nation , the country in general , which I have not shown .

If you were to do a sketch of the person who loves animals and hence people might say that it is evil , irrational , cynical, conflict , throughout their life only made the rottenness and evil and wickedness he directs pus frustrated as many failures , especially personal , which is harder to see with the naked eye , thanks to the rule of dominant positions in society , temporal course, against a population of animals, dogs , so close man. (...)

But when some children are beaten regularly and not only when you get stones in the body associated with pain when you wake up with a boot in the belly or snap when I broke my nose with a kick is applied directly into the nose , flushing it blood or worse, when you are served instead of a morsel of bread, a bowl of antifreeze and die in agony or stay and live with sequels and unimaginable pain , how can you react? Those who today are complacent ordering mass murder on such explanations are complacent pain except their pain or relatives in the family , hence my horror at the thought of how we are different, even if we assume that we are all humans . (...)

Animal lovers people's lives changed radically from the time legislating mass murder on dog population . They live a hell , a nightmare constantly suffering enormous jerk sleep at night because of the macabre dreams , the appearance pound live dramas, trying to save their dogs to being strangers who are seen and considered , even before being caught , gentle on the sidewalk or in a corner of the building , or on the grass, not suspecting what awaits them , as victims of domestic atrocity " .

Daciana Sarbu: 'A Head with Two Faces' -- One face smiling at the death-bringers, the other face smiling at the protectors!

Via Occupy For Animals. 

October 3, 2013 - The sun is slowly setting on the public's respect for the institution of Europe. A horrified civilized world looks on as the country of Romania whose corrupt re-deployment of assigned public funds has consistently failed to introduce any humane strategy to control the homeless animal population such as has been achieved in every global civilized country. 

The result is the legitimization of an 'eradication' policy which will result in the destruction of many hundreds of thousands of street animals. Destruction by traditional Romanian methods which include injection of substances such as injecting with anti-freeze, battering with shovels, ADD TO LIST - like practiced in the past. Since the new "legislation" the following methods - although not acceptable in any other European country - are now totally legal and even encouraged, such as the use of carbon dioxide, carbon oxide, potassium chloride, nitrogen, electric shocks, penetrating captive gun.

This policy was rapidly implemented due to the EMOTIONAL response of the population because of the death of a child ALLEGEDLY caused by homeless animals. 

The civilized world watched in horror as this draconian policy passed through the Romanian parliamentary system. Appeals were made to the EU. 

BUT the major body of Europe whilst disagreeing with the policy... could do NOTHING. Society demands a better response than.... NOTHING! 

But we have a body whose function is to assist with the erosion of the word NOTHING. 

But we listen in abject horror as a Vice-President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, Daciana Sârbu, during a recent exchange, identifies to the world that she is totally misinformed about policies and events over which her position demands knowledge. 

This to be compounded because of political interest with her association as wife of one who had, throughout the scandal caused by the 'slaughter law', kept a very neutral position and refrained from openly telling if he was in favor of the euthanasia of stray dogs, or against. After the 'slaughter law' became "legislation", the PSD leader made it clear that he "does not want to live in a country where homeless dogs are being slaughtered". This statement came a bit too late, in our opinion... But, now as Romania's Prime Minister, he will HAVE to live in such a country, together with all the other good people, the animal protectors, and all those innocent children who would not want to live in such a country either. But who cares?

May we, as the public, who are represented, challenge the ignorance within this exchange...

Daciana Sârbu unprofessionally, compared the new law in Romania to those in Germany and France. Not so de facto! Romania will kill dogs, healthy or not. This is NOT a policy in a civilized society. 

The order of magnitude? Hundreds of thousands will die in Romania. This is without precedent in ANY developed society. 

Madame Sarbu critically alludes to emotions driving reactions when indeed the policy of legitimized mass slaughter in her country was emotionally driven. 

The public now questions the expertise of those who represent them in the European Arena. Questions are now asked about what is 'suitability for purpose' of these non-elected representatives?

Madame Sarbu's delivery was profoundly unprofessionally uninformed. What qualifications does she have to command respect? In Romania there is an understanding that qualifications can be achieved by corrupt means. Was this the foundation of her acquiring such an elevated position? Does this not also demand further investigation of the root element, so apparently readily accepted by European Institutions, challenge the validity of qualifications of the significant Romanian officials. There are suggestions that this too is consistent with a profoundly corrupt society. 

The sun is setting on the day of trusting these individuals and authorities BUT a new day is dawning and the light from this new day is shining directly onto the inadequacies, ineptitudes and practices of those individuals and authorities who should be reflecting realities and advancing change and not posturing and presenting ill-informed defences of a policy which has created a shiver of abhorrence throughout the civilized world.

Please continue reading, and listen to Madame Sarbu's historic speech, which she had given at the Intergroup-meeting from 12th of September, 2013, at: 

Original Link.

And PLEASE sign our petition to the EU, if you have not done so yet:

EU, Are you watching the level of cruelty/atrocities YOU allowed.

This video is very good as it summarises the cruel, wicked level of cruelty meted out on stray dogs in Romania. This is barbaric. It is even more barbaric that it continues under the watchful eye of the European Union. They claim not to be able to act, the fact is they can act if they want to. They opt not to. These are the images that can be shown. There are many too heinous for the human eye to accept. Romanian Style Euthanasia - starving the dog and giving it the most painful death known to man. The people commiting this crimes are not held accountable. Every person in the world should boycott trade and tourism to Romania. It is time the Romanian government understood that this atrocities will not be forgotten. 

Important Letter to be sent

Post by Occupy for Animals.

People are being exposed to the immense, ongoing cruelty performed by the dog catching business in Romania

The EU is powerless to prevent cruelty to animals. This is due to their self created red tape. In all the years they have existed, basic rights of animals have not been a priority for them. The campaign for protection of animals at the EU can be read here - Occupy For Animals.

This is an interesting extract of evidence presented to the Commissioner of Human Rights. 

The following is an excerpt of the report that Norah Babington has sent to the Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Nils Muiznieks, as well as to the Sub-Committee on Human Rights at the EU:

"Since 2011, I have been gathering testimonies from Romania by people being exposed to the immense, ongoing cruelty performed by the dog catching business in Romania.

It has been an uphill struggle. People are afraid for their lives, traumatized by the violence, feeling vulnerable and powerless and unable to change the status quo.

They plead for help.

They state they have lost their humanity and any good quality of a descent life, by being forced to witness the sufferings and dying of the stray dogs and cats daily. But be aware of the fact that many dogs who have owners, even the ones walking in a leash with the owner on the streets, gets caught by the dogcatchers and dragged to the death camps, the so called Public Shelters (PS). People pay the dogcatchers weekly bribes in order to save their pet from a horrific death."

I believe that this consists a serious violation of their (EU) Human Rights.