Romanian Parliament votes to euthanize stray dogs

Photo: Diana Topan / Photography News

Romanian lawmakers passed a bill allowing local authorities to euthanize stray dogs, although previous attempts to control the street dog population through euthanasia proved ineffective. 

November 23, 2011, Bucharest. Romanian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill allowing local authorities to euthanize stray dogs. The law will allow officials to round up homeless dogs from the street, hold them in shelters for 30 days and then have them killed.

The draft law was submitted by the ruling Liberal Democrats who reject spaying and neutering as the most humane and effective way of managing stray animal overpopulation issues, and accuse the strays for the poverty in Romania.

In fact, the low cost of a dog spay is around 20-30 euro. The number of stray dogs euthanized in Bucharest between 2001-2007 was 144,339. According to ASPA (the administration for dog management), the budget for euthanasia between 2001-2007 was of 9 million euro, which makes the euthanasia fee/dog 62 euro.
The previous attempts to control the street dog population through euthanasia - both barbaric and ineffective - included shooting, poisoning, beating them to death.

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