Ghenadie Valuța says he regrets his decision to chain a dog to the rear of his car and drive off, but what followed next – the deacon told a press conference – has been “a vicious slur campaign” mounted by “non-traditional forces” to malign him and the Church itself.
Giving his own account of events, the deacon said the dog had scared one of his young children, and under the impression of a recent case of a boy killed by rabies, he and the neighbors decided the animal had to be “evacuated.” Put inside the deacon’s SUV, the dog started “jerking itself free”, so the “owner” suggested they should chain it to the bumper.
“I really cannot understand those who use words of disinformation – like ‘dragged for ten kilometers along the road’. I do regret the method, but the accusation... I’m not trying to excuse myself here... the accusation of cruelty and inhuman treatment is just absurd,” said Valuța.
“Such a barrage of demonic psychosis sowing division and based on disinformation and a strong push in the mass media is something I have never seen before, my dear friends. I didn’t see such activism in the case of the child who recently died after being bitten by a rabid dog. Nor did I see petitions and hysteria about the matter of stray dogs surrounding us and being a menace for everyone of us,” decalared the deacon.
Alina Andriaș, a member of the community, told the same press conference that Fr. Valuța bears no blame, but, much to the contrary, was trying to help, as he always did. In her opinion, people are forced to take matters into their own hands and evacuate strays because the authorities fail to act.
Ghenadie Valuța and the community members attending proposed the idea of opening Church-sponsored animal shelters.
More than 25,000 people signed a petition demanding that Ghenadie Văluța be prosecuted for animal cruelty. Meanwhile the deacon was given a 1,200 lei fine, in addition to being suspended from his duties in an Anenii Noi church pending an ecclesiastical trial.