Group Protests Romanian Plan To Euthanize Dogs

BUCHAREST -- Animal protection groups say they plan to protest on April 30 against the Romanian government's proposal to euthanize thousands of stray dogs after 11,000 people were bitten in the capital last year.

Cutu Cutu (Doggy-Doggy) association chairwoman Marcela Lungu says stray dogs should instead be sterilized.

Mihai Atanasoaei, the chief of the Bucharest city administration, wants stray dogs taken off the streets and put down if they are not adopted within 14 days.

For two years parliament has delayed voting on legislation regarding stray dogs, cats, and horses.

Lungu claimed a previous law failed to reduce the number of stray dogs, although some 150,000 dogs were euthanized.

There are between 40,000 and 100,000 stray dogs in Bucharest.

compiled from agency reports