Prima pagina Intro When you first step foot in Romania, one of the things that most people

notice are the large number of dogs roaming on the streets. For dog lovers, it is a mixed blessing. Wow, lots of animals to pat, feed and talk to. But dog lovers worry about the health and security of these animals and cry when yet another dog is crushed on the roads. For those who are not so fond of dogs, they feel that the dogs are a nuisance, threatening people, chasing cars and bikes and interfering with their quality of life. In the end, no one is really happy with the situation of the stray dogs living on our streets. But it is a part of our lives living in Romania. O pagina In Targu Fumos Stray dogs are a problem in Roumania. Not because they will attack you or chase you through the city streets. It is mostly an image problem. You have this big modern city and wandering around, lounging in the shade, solo and in packs, are dogs. Some are pets, some are former pets and some have never been pets at all.

The downtown dogs are pretty well behaved. Many are streetwise, literally. My mother was curious as to how they could cross some of the big Targu Frumos avenues so she watched them. She discovered that the dogs would go to the pedestrian crossings and stand there. No they did not know that the little green man meant it was OK for them to cross. They would wait until some humans came and then cross with them. Plaka and downtown dogs are very good natured. They are around people all the time and have few needs, all of which are available in the neighborhood: food, water and shade. I remember coming home early one morning. As I was walking up the hill I saw a pack of about twenty dogs coming towards me. This made me a little nervous. Who knew whether these were pets, or strays looking for a lone human to rip to shreds and devour without a trace. How many people, whose disappearance off the face of the earth had fueled stories of alien abductions, were merely eaten by packs of wild urban and suburban dogs? I was bit once by a stray dog. It was in Buznea and for some reason one of the dogs that hung out in the square decided he did not like me. He followed me, barking madly and I tried to ignore him but then he nipped my heal. I turned around and yelled at him and he ran away terrified. But that was three years ago and I have not been back to Buznea since. Maybe the dog is gone. Maybe he was just having a bad day and didn't like the way I looked at him. Who knows? But that experience has kept me away from the neighborhood for the last three years and I can understand why the large numbers of dogs might make travelers uncomfortable.

I have been living in Roumania since I was borned and am well acquainted with the recent history of the dog situation in Targu Frumos and the rest of Romania. As in most civilized countries, in Greece too, every municipality had a "dog pound" and a "dog catcher". And, as in most cities throughout the world, many domesticated dogs in Roumania would one way or another gain their "freedom" from their owners. Either they would run away on their own, or they would be "let go" by irresponsible

owners. Whatever the case may have been, these stray dogs often would breed and have puppies and multiply accordingly. The dog catchers in Roumania used to step in and round up as many strays as they could.

You also have to look at the Roumania relationship with animals to understand the problem. The concept of animals as pets is relatively new. The majority of roumanians come from rural roots and people had animals for a purpose. A donkey was for carrying things. A cat was to kill rats. A dog was to tend sheep, hunt or keep wolves and predators away. Normal people did not have dogs. In the seventies dogs suddenly became fashionable, especially collies, and every one was named 'Lassie'. But only a small percentage of people realized that having a dog was not as easy as owning a plant and when they found out, they did what people in the USA used to do (and some still do). They took the dogs for a ride. When they were far enough to be sure that the dog would not find its way back home they opened the car door and 'set him free'. The first question you may have as a visitor is 'are you safe from being mauled by packs of wild dogs in Targu Fumos?' The answer is yes. No tourist has been attacked yet besides me and I am not a tourist and I was not really attacked. The second question is ' is there anything you can do to solve the problem of strays in Tirgu Frumos and in Roumania?' The answer to this is also yes. You can adopt one and bring it home with you! Sound far-fetched? You might be surprised at how many people have fallen in love with a dog or cat in Roumania and taken them home. You can say what you want about them being an eyesore or a nuisance but for some reason these animals have a lot of character and it is not such an unlikely scenario that one might steal your heart. It happens. O pagina In other parts of Roumania In Bucharest, there are between 40,000 100,000 stray dogs, depending on who you ask. But the true number is unknown.

How did this happen? When Ceausescu decided to build his palace, it meant demolishing hectares of homes and he demolished houses to build block buildings throughout the country. Technically, he moved people from working on the land to working in factories and living in blocks near these factories. Most people who lived in houses had dogs and when they moved to blocks, they released the dogs into the street. The dog population exploded on the streets of Bucharest and beyond.

Some attempts have been made to control the dog population, but these attempts have been sporadic and have not resolved the issue. There have been government sponsored sterilizations, but when governments change, the program stops and the dog population returns to big numbers. There are no RSPCAs and no Humane Societies in Romania, no one to call and no place to put an animal who is found on the street. There are city shelters, but the condition of these shelters is horrific. They are in poor condition, severely overcrowded, not enough workers, not enough food for dogs and no adoption program. Workers sometimes beat dogs to death. Dogs kill other dogs to eat. Dogs are

sometimes fed poison or euthanized using paint solvents or other non-EU approved methods of killing the dogs. City shelters are not the way to go for any stray dog here.

The only effective way of managing the stray dog population is through sterilization and placing the dogs back where they came from, where they would live out their lives without reproducing. In as little as 7 years, the problem would not exist. Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu and animal NGOs support this as the only way to manage the dog population. Most of the animal charities spend a fair amount of time and money on sterilization. The Romanian Government offers free sterilization at some special veterinary clinics but few people know about this and locations are not convenient for most people.

The bigger issue is education and the evolvement of the society. It is not common practice for Romanians to sterilize their animals and it is hoped that through outreach programs, this will start to change. Many animal charities, such as HAR work with schools to educate the children in caring and handling animals. HAR has partnered with the British School of Bucharest, has worked with the International American School, the German School and is now involved in some of the Romanian schools. O pagina Tips While you are living in Romania, you should know how to deal with the dogs on the street to keep yourself safe. Here are a few tips. Get to know the dogs around your block or house. Create friends, not enemies. Talk to them, pat them if youd like and give them a little food. They will love you. When walking through other neighbourhoods or parks, avoid large packs of dogs. If confronted, walk confidently and do not make eye contact with the dogs. Think of Cezar Romaro, the Dog Whisperer, when he advises us to own the space. Try not to be fearful, although it is easier said than done. Dogs feel fear and respect someone who is confident. I often carry dry food in my pocket and throw this to dogs to distract them and I use a soft voice to show them I mean no aggression or harm. Educate your children not to touch any animal that they do not know, even if it is on a leash. The cutest, smallest dogs can be the meanest dogs and without notice, can bite your child. Respect animals and only when you earn their trust, can you and your children touch the animal. Do not pick up small puppies as the mother could be around and might be aggressive towards you. Better to admire them from a distance. If you pay attention to the mother, give her food, talk to her, eventually she will trust you and let you handle her puppies. In the unlikely event that you are bitten, seek medical attention.

Stray dogs are a part of daily life in Romania, love them or hate them. You must learn to deal with them as part of your life while living in Romania as the stray dog issue will not be solved very soon. If you are interested in helping HAR with rescues, adoptions, sterilizations, contact me for more information.