Chasing the dog catchers
July 6, 2014 - On Friday, 20th June 2014, the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the international animal welfare organisation Four Paws, and suspended the Methodological Norms of the stray dogs euthanasia law. In the absence of Methodological Norms, Law 258/2013 (formerly OUG 155/2001) - commonly known as the Killing or Slaughter Law - no longer holds any applicable norms or legal framework to capture stray dogs, nor to issue a decision to kill them and thus became inapplicable, according to
Thus - and with immediate effect - not only the killing of healthy dogs is illegal, but so is their capture, according to a press release by Vier Pfoten from 23rd of June, 2014. Since the suspension of the Slaugher Law, ASPA now operates at night... like thieves.
Wherever injustice is seen towards animals, OFA will lend its voice. Wherever people challenge such injustice, OFA will stand beside them.
The people of Romania have watched with ever mounting frustration as ASPA have persistently ignored animal welfare laws. They had watched the abuse and the killings. They have watched as animals were taken from homes... from owners. They have watched as appeals to European and Romanian authorities have been ignored.
They watch no more!
They are taking to the streets in ever growing numbers. They are stopping the illegalities being enacted night after night in Bucharest.
The people are speaking.
And as their voices become stronger, a concerned world listens and galvanizes into action.
OFA leads the way into standing beside our brothers and sisters in Bucharest and OFA will provide support for their endeavors to bring justice and safety for the animals of Romania.
ASPA will no longer act with impunity, ignoring laws and demands of the people. Let it be known that ASPA offends the world community with its barbaric acts and anarchic disregard for the laws, which in any civilized society, must form the foundations upon which a society can claim the word ‘civilized’. Romania is failing and fellow Europeans are observing with dismay.
ASPA are now not only challenged simply by the people of Romania, international support is growing... OFA leads the way in declaring this support.
How does OFA support the activists?
OFA supports them by running a fundraiser, the money of which will be used to pay for gasoline for the cars that will be following the ASPA vans. This action inhibits any possibility of ASPA committing illegal actions and effectively stops their activities.
Who is ASPA?
ASPA is THE Bucharest authority responsible for the management of the stray animals population, under direct orders of Mayor Sorin Oprescu. Its head is Razvan Bancescu - a personal buddy of Oprescu - who believes that the he stands above the law.
It won't come as a surprise that ASPA - which stands for 'Autoritatea pentru Supravegherea şi Protecţia Animalelor' and which, ironically, means: Authority for the Supervision and Protection of Animals - is currently under investigation by the Romanian National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA).
ASPA has made the news ever since it came to being in 2009... Over the last months, OFA has collected many evidence about ASPA's sometimes "curious" and also illegal actions and which will now be disclosed here, piece by piece.
As an example: on 21st of March, 2014, ASPA raided a pound located in Bucharest, District 6, run by volunteers under the supervision of the government paid veterinarian, Bogdan Brasla, as well as the adjacent clinic of Vier Pfoten.
A few days later, ASPA head Bancescu, appeared on national TV and presented his own "blacklist" of organizations and people who he had decided were no longer allowed to adopt dogs, disclosing their full names on TV, in the newspapers, the ASPA website as well as at the entrances of all ASPA "shelters".
Both actions (the raid and the blacklist) were illegal. OFA had exposed these, and we will disclose more illegal actions by ASPA here over the course of the next weeks.
The nightly actions that they are pursuing at the moment - under the protection of the Police - too, are illegal. And they know it. And they have even confirmed it in the letter that you can see in the next picture, addressed to the Romanian organisation 'Cutu Cutu' in response to their petition.
Below, a translation of the text of their letter into English for your convenience:
The General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest - The Authority for the Survey and Protection of the Animals
To The association "Cutu Cutu"
Taking account of your petition no. 54/19.06.2014 transferred to the Authority for the survey and protection of the animals, registered under no. 3150/19.06.2014, through which you sollicitate the correlation of the work schedule of the shelters belonging to the municipality according to the HG. (governamental decision) no. 1059/2013, for the application of the methodological rules of application of the OUG no.155/2001 concerning the approval of the manangement program of the stray dogs, we inform you that this decision was suspended by the Appeal Court of Bucharest by the decision HG no.1982/20.06.2014
Sincerely yours,
General Director Made by....
Signed: Cristian Treeroiu and Nicoleta Tanase
It won't come as a surprise that ASPA - which stands for 'Autoritatea pentru Supravegherea şi Protecţia Animalelor' and which, ironically, means: Authority for the Supervision and Protection of Animals - is currently under investigation by the Romanian National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA).
ASPA has made the news ever since it came to being in 2009... Over the last months, OFA has collected many evidence about ASPA's sometimes "curious" and also illegal actions and which will now be disclosed here, piece by piece.
As an example: on 21st of March, 2014, ASPA raided a pound located in Bucharest, District 6, run by volunteers under the supervision of the government paid veterinarian, Bogdan Brasla, as well as the adjacent clinic of Vier Pfoten.
A few days later, ASPA head Bancescu, appeared on national TV and presented his own "blacklist" of organizations and people who he had decided were no longer allowed to adopt dogs, disclosing their full names on TV, in the newspapers, the ASPA website as well as at the entrances of all ASPA "shelters".
Both actions (the raid and the blacklist) were illegal. OFA had exposed these, and we will disclose more illegal actions by ASPA here over the course of the next weeks.
The nightly actions that they are pursuing at the moment - under the protection of the Police - too, are illegal. And they know it. And they have even confirmed it in the letter that you can see in the next picture, addressed to the Romanian organisation 'Cutu Cutu' in response to their petition.
Below, a translation of the text of their letter into English for your convenience:
The General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest - The Authority for the Survey and Protection of the Animals
To The association "Cutu Cutu"
Taking account of your petition no. 54/19.06.2014 transferred to the Authority for the survey and protection of the animals, registered under no. 3150/19.06.2014, through which you sollicitate the correlation of the work schedule of the shelters belonging to the municipality according to the HG. (governamental decision) no. 1059/2013, for the application of the methodological rules of application of the OUG no.155/2001 concerning the approval of the manangement program of the stray dogs, we inform you that this decision was suspended by the Appeal Court of Bucharest by the decision HG no.1982/20.06.2014
Sincerely yours,
General Director Made by....
Signed: Cristian Treeroiu and Nicoleta Tanase
What is the objective?
OFA has received numerous reports from people from Bucharest stating that their dogs have been stolen from their yards, and in a few documented cases, dog catchers have even tried to steal dogs while people were walking them on the leash. OFA wants to protect people and their animals from such illegal activities by ASPA by following them, by video taping their every moves and so effectively hinder them from stealing people's dogs. In the event that dog catchers will be found doing something illegal, the activists will call the police and inform the media. They will forward their daily (or nightly) recordings to OFA who will then use them in their lobbying at the EU, inform the Romanian authorities, and if possible, take legal actions against ASPA.
OFA will always seek to support those who challenge perceived injustice. However, no responsibility will be accepted or condoned for any acts of aggression against persons or property in any supported activity. OFA will offer remote support and being not directly engaged in activities, disclaims any responsibility for any illegal activity in the pursuance of the supported objectives.
OFA will always seek to support those who challenge perceived injustice. However, no responsibility will be accepted or condoned for any acts of aggression against persons or property in any supported activity. OFA will offer remote support and being not directly engaged in activities, disclaims any responsibility for any illegal activity in the pursuance of the supported objectives.
In the video: "Romania now below any civilization standard" says MEP Janusz Wojciechowski, who suggests that people boycott Romanian Tourism because
the killings still continue although the Law has been suspended
the killings still continue although the Law has been suspended
How many Romanian teams are following the dog catchers?
At the moment there is only a handful, very brave people doing this. It is our hope that if we can assure that their gasoline bills are being paid, more activists will join them.
Our dream would be to have 9 teams/cars standing in front of the ASPA base 24 hours a day and to follow each of their 9 vans as soon as they would leave their base and to fully document their activities. Any illegal activity found will immediately be reported to the police.
The people of Romania are doing this to protect the many animals from being killed and mutilated on the streets of their cities. They seek humanity. They seek justice. They were alone... but they are alone no more.
YOU can raise a voice of outrage and support. YOU can help OFA to support our brothers and sisters in Romania. YOU can show ASPA that a world is united against such injustice. It is upon such times that change comes... together we now have the opportunity of bringing such change.
Please sponsor gazoline for the Bucharest team by making a donation now!
OFA will apply total transparency and all donations and names of sponsors will be listed here, on this page, along with the expenses. In case you do not want your name to be listed, please provide us with an alias.
You can follow here, and on our Facebook page, for what your money is being used for as we will post the videos that the teams have taken during the nights as soon as they have come online the next day.
Our dream would be to have 9 teams/cars standing in front of the ASPA base 24 hours a day and to follow each of their 9 vans as soon as they would leave their base and to fully document their activities. Any illegal activity found will immediately be reported to the police.
The people of Romania are doing this to protect the many animals from being killed and mutilated on the streets of their cities. They seek humanity. They seek justice. They were alone... but they are alone no more.
YOU can raise a voice of outrage and support. YOU can help OFA to support our brothers and sisters in Romania. YOU can show ASPA that a world is united against such injustice. It is upon such times that change comes... together we now have the opportunity of bringing such change.
Please sponsor gazoline for the Bucharest team by making a donation now!
OFA will apply total transparency and all donations and names of sponsors will be listed here, on this page, along with the expenses. In case you do not want your name to be listed, please provide us with an alias.
You can follow here, and on our Facebook page, for what your money is being used for as we will post the videos that the teams have taken during the nights as soon as they have come online the next day.
How to become an official sponsor?
Every kind person who will make a donation to sponsor gasoline, starting at as little as 5 euro, will be listed on our website as official sponsor.
Given that OFA is a registered charity organization, your donation grants you a tax deduction, the percentage is depending on your country.
Donations can be made simply and easily by using the PayPal button, but PayPal deducts some costs for donations. These can be be avoided by sending your donation to: [email protected] and selecting 'gift'. Either option is acceptable and both will provide essential support for the 'brave ones' of Romania.
We thank you very much, in advance, for your support!
Given that OFA is a registered charity organization, your donation grants you a tax deduction, the percentage is depending on your country.
Donations can be made simply and easily by using the PayPal button, but PayPal deducts some costs for donations. These can be be avoided by sending your donation to: [email protected] and selecting 'gift'. Either option is acceptable and both will provide essential support for the 'brave ones' of Romania.
We thank you very much, in advance, for your support!
Important update
Occupy for Animals will always seek to maximize impact and effectiveness in our endeavors to optimize support for a humane solution to the stray animal crisis which exists in Romania, and during July, we have supported the inhibition of 'ASPA catch and kill' processes.
As the ASPA 'catch and kill' inhibition program has already achieved its optimum efficiency, agreement has been reached that this will be re-appraised and therefore it has ceased tonight and all endeavors will be focused on the new initiatives.
We now seek to re-strategize to effect greater impact against ASPA and to maximize enforcement of prevailing Romanian Animal Welfare Law, for a more efficient and effective use of the remaining donations.
To achieve this, a new international initiative is being formulated to achieve maximum impact of exemplification of Romanian authority's illegal activities and inconsistency with European standards compliance.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all the kind people listed on our donors' page for their generous donation and their trust in us.
THANK YOU!
As the ASPA 'catch and kill' inhibition program has already achieved its optimum efficiency, agreement has been reached that this will be re-appraised and therefore it has ceased tonight and all endeavors will be focused on the new initiatives.
We now seek to re-strategize to effect greater impact against ASPA and to maximize enforcement of prevailing Romanian Animal Welfare Law, for a more efficient and effective use of the remaining donations.
To achieve this, a new international initiative is being formulated to achieve maximum impact of exemplification of Romanian authority's illegal activities and inconsistency with European standards compliance.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all the kind people listed on our donors' page for their generous donation and their trust in us.
THANK YOU!