Romania's Animal Shelters Face Funding Crisis and Adoption Drive

The Andreea & Benji’s Happy Dogs shelter in Cluj, which cares for around 100 dogs, is on the brink of closing after failing to pay a veterinary invoice of about 20,000 lei. With less than 5,000 lei in its accounts, the shelter warned that unpaid fees would halt medical care, prevent new intakes and force the doors shut.

Meanwhile, the Authority for Supervision and Protection of Animals (ASPA) in Bucharest announced a new adoption fair on 8 August in Carol Park. The event will allow visitors to adopt dogs and cats, with each animal already microchipped, dewormed and sterilised. ASPA volunteers and sponsors will offer gifts to adopters. Recent figures show ASPA rescued 120 stray dogs in just 20 days, highlighting the ongoing demand for such initiatives.

Both efforts underscore the challenges facing Romania's animal welfare sector, from financial strain on shelters to the need for organized adoption and sterilisation campaigns.