ThestraydogcrisisinRomania
It's a systemic problem. In Romania, stray dogs are hunted, killed, abandoned. Authorities capture them to euthanize them. Between 2013 and 2016, more than 65,000 dogs were gassed in Bucharest alone. Remember Me France says enough.
The roots of the problem
The 1980s · Ceausescu's forced industrialization
Under Nicolae Ceausescu's regime, millions of rural Romanians were displaced to cities as part of a forced industrialization program. Since pets were forbidden in the new apartment blocks, hundreds of thousands of dogs were abandoned on the streets.
This first wave of mass abandonment created a stray dog population that reproduced unchecked for decades. Today, it is estimated that between 500,000 and 600,000 stray dogs roam across Romania.
Estimated stray dogs in Romania
Active shelters in the country
The situation today
In 2013, the Romanian Parliament passed a law authorizing the capture and euthanasia of stray dogs after 14 days in shelters. In practice, this deadline is rarely respected.
Dogs captured in a single region in 2024
Kill rate: 3,286 dogs killed out of 3,871 captures
RON in revenue generated by these killings for private companies
A system that profits from death
Over 140 shelters operate across Romania. The private companies that manage them are paid per capture, creating a perverse financial incentive: more dogs killed means more revenue. Sterilization, which would cut off the source, is not in their economic interest.
The failure of euthanasia policies
Despite more than a decade of mass captures and killings, the stray dog population has not decreased. Mass euthanasia is a documented failure: without systematic sterilization, remaining dogs breed and the population reconstitutes within years.
European Parliamentary Question E-002593/2025
In June 2025, European MPs filed question E-002593/2025 with the European Commission. This question denounces the diversion of European funds toward killing programs instead of financing sterilization campaigns, the only method recognized as effective by the scientific community.
Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union explicitly recognizes animals as sentient beings and requires member states to fully account for animal welfare in the formulation of their policies.
What doesn't work
- Capture and euthanasia without sterilization
- For-profit shelters without oversight
- Diversion of European funds
What works
- +Massive systematic sterilization
- +Responsible international adoption
- +Ethical long-term shelters
What we do
We save dogs from the streets. We sterilize them (preventing overpopulation). We build local capacity. We repatriate to homes.
- 1Street rescue operations
- 2Shelter operations (Remember Me Land)
- 3Sterilization programs
- 4Local trainer & vet partnerships
- 5Adoption support in Western Europe
The Remember Me France solution
An ethical and sustainable alternative to mass euthanasia.
Sterilize
Approximately 500 sterilizations per year to address the root cause of the problem. Without controlled breeding, no policy can be effective.
Save
The Remember Me Land shelter permanently houses approximately 437 dogs. Each animal receives veterinary care, vaccination, and socialization while waiting for their family.
Repatriate
Approximately 476 dogs per year are repatriated to adoptive families in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. Each adoption frees up space at the shelter for a new rescue.
Prove
Since 2014, over 6000 successful adoptions demonstrate that an ethical approach can work at scale, without resorting to killing.
Sterilizations
Goal 2026 71%
Repatriations
Dogs at shelter
Adoptions since 2014
Why Pascani?
Our shelter in Pascani serves a region with high dog population and limited rescue resources. We've built the only private shelter in the area.
Our impact
6,000+ rescued. ~500 sterilized per year. 437 at shelter. Every dog gets a chance.
One sterilized female costs €40.
And dozens of puppies that will never be born on the street. That is where it all starts.
Understanding the situation in Romania
Act now
Every donation funds sterilizations and rescues. Every adoption gives a second life to a condemned dog. You can make a difference today.
They're waiting for a family
These dogs are currently available for adoption.
