HOPE FOR MOLDOVA’S STRAY DOGS
A group of stray dogs approaches cautiously. Most wear the distinctive red ear tag that identifies them with an ID number, and signals the dogs have been sterilized. In the back, a white dog appears to have had a recent surgery.
In the Republic of Moldova, a small ex-Soviet Union country landlocked between Ukraine and Romania, and the poorest country of Europe, free-ranging dogs are omnipresent. The situation has been described by FOUR PAWS INTERNATIONAL as “out of control” for an estimated “over 20,000 stray dogs” living in the Greater Chișinău area alone.
There are only a handful of rescue organizations and shelters in Moldova, and they struggle to address the need of the community. The lack of adoption culture means dogs who enter these shelters have little to no chance of ever being adopted. The stray dog population keeps growing, which leads to tensions between the humans and the dogs.
So far, the government has failed at addressing the issue humanely and successfully. Chișinău’s municipal shelter (called Necropolis and nicknamed the Kennel of Death by animal activists) is managed by the same people in charge of garbage collection, and that says a lot about the way stray dogs have been seen and handled so far in Moldova – as a nuisance. The mayor took Facebook in 2021 to voice his frustration after a child was bitten by a stray dog. He called animal activists “anti-people” and added “we cannot put animals above the security and health of people.” The statement brought him the fury of Moldova’s dog lovers, who cited examples of animal welfare initiatives around the world, and called for better solutions that protect both the humans and the dogs.
In 2021, FOUR PAWS launched an emergency relief support program in the country, in partnership with Doctor Vet Moldova, a local animal welfare organization led by Vladislav Dorofeev. Together, they are implementing a long-term, sustainable, and strategic Dog Population management program, using FOUR PAWS’ high-volume CNVR approach (Catch – Neuter – Vaccinate – Return).
I followed their efforts in March 2023. I wrote a photo essay you can download here.
The first part of CNVR is the catching of dogs, which is done by Vlad and his teammate Stephan, using a blowpipe and tranquilizer darts. The goal is to make the procedure the least intrusive and traumatizing as possible, for the dogs but the community as well. “People would be very concerned if they saw us walk around and shoot at dogs with guns. This way, they understand what we are doing.”
A dog fell asleep after being hit by the tranquilizer dart. Vlad places him in a crate. The dog will be brought to the vet clinic where he will be sterilized, vaccinated, and receive an ear tag.
A FOUR PAWS vet team, visiting for the week, is sterilizing a medium-sized dog. The team has set up a high-volume sterilization clinic at Doctor Vet Moldova’s, to help sterilize hundreds of strays in a short time.
A dog awaits surgery at the vet clinic. He will be returned to the street couple of days after the procedure.
A few residents at Doctor Vet Moldova’s clinic. Unless they have serious health conditions, these dogs will be moved to the shelter facility, comes winter’s end.
Vladislav Dorofeev (Vlad) was never able to ignore the suffering of stray dogs. After twenty years of helping street dogs, he co-founded Doctor Vet Moldova 6 years ago. His team operates a low-cost vet clinic in Chișinău (where this picture was taken), as well as a shelter outside of the city, in the Cricova region. While his commitment is a blessing for the dogs and community he serves, it’s a heavy burden no private citizen should have to carry. “I get home after a long day at work, I eat dinner, I close my eyes and suddenly, it’s already the next day”.
A stray dog looks back at us suspiciously. Many of the free-ranging dogs are bonded with their community. Some belong to families.
Vlad feeds chicken feet to a group of stray dogs living near his vet clinic. He regularly drives around to assess the need of the community and build trust with the dogs he services.
A stray dog crosses a busy road outside of Doctor Vet Moldova’s clinic.
A stray dog enjoys a chicken foot during one of Vlad’s feedings.
A minuscule puppy sits between my feet in the sunset light. As heartbreaking as it is, Vlad cannot take all the dogs in. He simply cannot afford to. He must stay the course and dedicate his meager resources to the sterilization of as many dogs as possible.
Greeting visitors at Doctor vet Moldova’s shelter is a message painted in large yellow letters: “The best thing a person can have, is a dog.” Under the inscription, almost as if someone had precisely staged him for theatrical effect, a majestic dog sits on a throne of blankets. The shelter houses 160 dogs and cats. After the winter, 50 more, who are recovering at the clinic, will join.
A row of cages in the front part of the shelter.
A three-legged dog lives at the shelter in a communal kennel. He wears the distinctive ear tag. Dogs who are missing limbs are even less likely to be adopted.
A dog jumps in his kennel incessantly, trying to get attention. Even though they live in large kennels they often share with other dogs, dogs are very under-stimulated in the shelter environment.
A water station at Doctor Vet Moldova’s outdoor shelter. Winters can be extremely cold in Moldova, with temperatures reaching down to -15°C (5°F).
At the shelter, Dr Tatjana (veterinarian, middle), Zina (left), and Talia (right), two shelter workers, enjoy a break in the sun, while giving a few pups some love.
Talia, a shelter worker, sings a poignant Russian song to Boss. The pit bull arrived at the shelter over 3 years ago, severely abused and traumatized. Shortly after, the staff rescued another large dog named Ella. Both dogs took to each other (“It was love at first sight”) and lived together in their kennel for 3 years, until Ella sadly passed away. Ever since, the staff is convinced that Boss is mourning, and they have been trying their best to cater to him.
At the shelter, a dog peeks through a hole in the fencing of his kennel. Dogs are let out in the main run for the occasional exercise. Mostly they remain in their kennels.
A shy stray dog observes from a distance.
From high above, in all its shades of concrete and winter colors, Chișinău appeared surprisingly quiet and sprawled out. In the distance, far, far away between large trucks, I spotted two familiar silhouettes. Dogs
Vlad greets a community dog who lives in an apartment complex. “Dogs have a purpose in the community,” Vlad explains. “Last year, crimes were on the rise and cars were often burglarized. The only areas where it was not happening, were areas with stray dogs. The thieves would just run away. This one stray dog lived in a building complex. Some people were unhappy about that and asked us to take him. First thing we did was sterilize the dog. Two days later, as the dog was recovering from the surgery, I got a call from the local guy who said, “please bring the dog back!” because during those two days, two flats were broken into and robbed. The whole building pleaded for the dog to come back.”