Carers of the dog shelter “AOVA” said that a number of persons are conducting a campaign of misinformation about the shelter, disseminating false information through social networking sites. They call on the people of good faith not to believe these speculations and to help them feed the animals as they cope with difficulty.
In a news conference at IPN, the shelter’s director Olga Cighir said that a number of users, who are allegedly animal defenders, became more active on social networking sites and denigrate the shelter. As they are not punished for disseminating false information, they become more courageous. The attacks intensified after the Chisinau Municipal Council in August decided to offer a lot to the shelter.
Olga Cighir denied a municipal councilor’s accusations that the dogs breed at the shelter. She said this is not true as the animals are sterilized. The distance from the shelter to homes is of 500 meters, not of 100 meters as some say. Even if the shelter faces shortages, the dogs are maintained well there. A special commission confirmed this.
Galina Cighir noted that some of those who disparage the shelter aim to occupy seats in the animal protection department of the Chisinau City Hall. Owing to these defamatory attacks, the animals suffer as they remain without food and assistance from people. “The shelter is in a real impasse. We do not get assistance, with small exceptions,” she stated.
Shelter worker Vera Bogdashova noted that there is a group of persons who block their Facebook page when they see postings that they don’t like. If these defamatory actions go on, the animals will suffer the consequences.
Maia Valcanescu, who also works at the shelter, said that since she moved to a village outside the capital city, she has done her best to persuade the people that the animals should be neutered and defended, not killed. When she asked the authorities to help her after people from the village left dogs at her gate, she was told to cope on her own.
Carer Ivan Bectoraș called on the young people to speak about the protection of animals at school and in the family. Without the community’s assistance, such shelters as “AOVA” will not succeed and the animals will have to live on the street.
