More than a thousand people protested on Sunday, February 22, in front of the Romanian Parliament in Bucharest, following revelations about animal abuse at a large private shelter in Suraia, Vrancea County.<\/p>\n
The protest was organized by Dreptate pentru Animale, Asocia\u021bia Ramses, Kola Kariola, and Asocia\u021bia Sache Vet, and follows the publication of images of animals being abused and killed<\/a> at the shelter allegedly run by a veterinarian.<\/p>\n The demonstrators called for changes to the legislation so that dogs would no longer be euthanized with public funds, according to HotNews<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe protest against dog catchers and the authorities! Dogs are not merchandise,\u201d the organizers said. They stated that the Suraia case was not a singular incident, but rather proof of systemic cruelty. \u201cPrivate shelters subscribed to public funds can no longer be called shelters. When the goal becomes profit, and the result is death, the real name is something else,\u201d they said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Actress Carmen T\u0103nase and stand-up comedian Dr\u0103cea, who leads the Ramses Association, were also present at the protest.\u00a0<\/p>\n The case of the dog shelter in Suraia commune, Vrancea County, drew attention after images captured by a camera showing dogs being tortured and killed were published on the social media pages of an animal protection NGO. The shelter\u2019s activity has been suspended. NGOs went to the site and successfully took over the over 200 animals that were still alive.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all upset about the way the authorities are handling the problem,\u201d said Marius Chirc\u0103, founder of the animal rights NGO Kola Kariola. He also claimed that dog carcasses and containers with a substance used for euthanasia were found around the shelter. \u201cHow these specially regulated substances ended up around the shelter, God knows,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n