The responsibility for stray dogs, infrastructure and financial resources intended for these animals should be transferred from the municipal cleanup enterprise “Autosalubritate” to the recently created Animal Control and Defense Department of the Public Amenities Division. Political pundit Eduard Volkov, who heads the Cultural Interethnic and Human Rights Protection Society, made such a request to Mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban, the Chisinau Municipal Council’s secretary Adrian Talmaci and the Socialist group on the CMC.

In a news conference at IPN, Eduard Volkov said that persons in charge of the area of animals without an owner disseminate false information about the real situation of these animals. During the past ten years, “Autosalubritate” has dealt with the problem in the most barbarous way. The animals were killed or buried alive. The money allocated to “Autosalubritate” for catching and maintaining animals was used for personal purposes.

The activist noted that the chiefs of “Autosalubritate” lie when they say that there are 20,000 stray dogs in the capital city. In fact, there are at most 4,000 stray dogs on the streets of Chisinau and most of these are nonaggressive.

According to Eduard Volkov, they try to mislead the mayor general when they tell him that the sterilization of animals does not reduce their aggressiveness. They actually become less violent. The reported number of cases when stray dogs attack people is also exaggerated.

The activist requests to keep the animal sterilization, vaccination and release program and suggests building a large municipal shelter for aggressive, sick and abandoned animals. He noted the officials in charge who abuse their authority should be punished.