Protest in front of Parliament after the horrors of the Suraia shelter

Despite freezing temperatures, 3,000 people took to the streets in Bucharest on February 22 to protest against the atrocities committed in the country’s public shelters, carried out with the complicity of corrupt institutions.

The shocking images from the Suraia shelter have once again drawn attention to the tragedy of abandoned dogs in Romania. Not only the scale of the crisis, with 64,000 dogs killed in the past three years alone, but also the waste of public funds and the corruption surrounding contracts awarded to dog-catching companies. Between 2022 and 2025, €9 million were spent, but according to some estimates, at least €1.3 billion have been spent since 2001, when systematic killings began.

Many public figures attended Sunday’s demonstration, including former football player and now coach Ioan Lupescu and actress Nuami Dinescu.

In the coming days, the Senate will discuss a proposal to revise the national law, promoted by a coalition of animal protection organizations that also includes Save the Dogs.