Romanian shelter sterilizes dogs to end culls
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Tierhilfe Hoffnung, a German animal welfare association, runs a pilot program in Romania to sterilize stray dogs instead of euthanizing them.
The organization operates from the Smeura animal shelter and sends veterinary vans to villages to offer free sterilization services. Romania authorized the culling of stray dogs in 2013 following a fatal attack on a child, but animal groups estimate the country still has around 500,000 roaming dogs.
The Smeura shelter also finds homes for dogs, having sent over 2,200 animals to adoptive families last year. However, the number of strays continues to grow, so Tierhilfe Hoffnung focuses on mass sterilization as the key to long-term population control. Recent investigations by Four Paws revealed neglect and abuse in some publicly funded Romanian shelters, increasing calls to end euthanasia. Tierhilfe Hoffnung aims to solve the problem of stray dogs within five years by identifying, vaccinating, registering, and sterilizing them.
So far this year, the organization has performed nearly 40,000 sterilizations through its mobile units and the Smeura shelter, which covers the site of a former fox farm. Residents like Iulian Stoica support the program, believing it prevents the overpopulation of abandoned puppies and improves public safety.
