Atrocities all over the country

Romania: the story of a massacre

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Atrocities all over the country

The public statements of the Mayor of Bucharest against the dogs stirred violent actions of individuals and local authorities across Romania

The looser in a dog fight between two pit-bulls had his head cut off with a knife by his angry owner, in front of many people assisting the fight. No inquiry was started by the authorities. The whole thing happened in front of a TV camera, in the Northern County of Bistrita, in Romania. The recording was broadcasted by Antena1 TV station and can be viewed on the Internet for 24 hours (starting 20.00 GMT, May 3). To see it, on the site: http://www.antena1.ro/ click in the upper left corner on Observator 23.00 (you need RealPlayer) and wind to minute 13.40. In the same programme, at minute 9.45 one can see the street protests in front of the Bucharest City Hall, against the on-going programme of the Mayor Traian Basescu to kill all street dogs by most cruel means (strangulation or injections with Magnesium Sulphate, with no prior anaesthesia).

In a paddock in Giurgiu town, 60 Km off Bucharest, managed by the local Garbage Collection Service, dogs are kept for up to two weeks after being caught on the streets of Giurgiu, without food or water or medical care. Many die of starvation or illness, some are eaten by the others. The survivors are killed by strangullation or beating.

The Romanian Prime Minister, Mr. Adrian Nastase, had himself a direct contribution to this unrolling of violent actions, by expressing support to the programme of Mr. Basescu on the reason that "the campaign is necessary because the plight of the dogs has tarnished the country's image abroad" (from a Radio Free Europe report).

He later addopted a stray dog, as a public gesture right befor the arrival in Bucharest of Mrs. Brigitte Bardot, the famous movie star and animal protection activist, who expressed discontent with the mass killing of healthy dogs.

Mr. Adrian Nastase is the President of the Romanian Association of Sporting Hunters and Fishermen.

			Romanian TV stations and newspapers have broadcasted and published repeated reports on shooting, poisoning and strangling dogs on the streets of Romanian towns like Tg. Jiu, Sulina, Pitesti, Iasi, Calimanesti.