Skip to main content
European Union flag
English
European Citizens´ Initiative Forum

Protection of stray dogs and cats, animal shelter animals and against animal testing

Author: Gisela Urban |
Updated on: 14 August 2026 |
Number of views: 588

 

 Please discuss and comment here!

In Europe, countless street dogs, street cats and animals still suffer in animal shelters. Animals are exposed, inadequately cared for, abused or kept in poor conditions. In some regions, healthy animals are still being killed, although sustainable and animal welfare alternatives are available.

Romania clearly demonstrates the urgent need for change. Animal welfare organizations and volunteers rescue dogs from public institutions and the street, fund veterinary treatments, castrations and vaccinations, and bring animals to safety. But private initiatives cannot finance or manage this task on their own in the long run.

We are convinced: Castration and prevention rather than killing must take precedence.

These include in particular:

• systematic castration programmes
• vaccination and veterinary care
• identification and registration
• adequate minimum standards for shelters •
responsible mediation and education
• transparency and animal welfare conditions in the use of public funds and EU funds

Animal testing is also part of our initiative.

Another important part of our European Citizens' Initiative concerns the use of animals for scientific purposes.

Street dogs, street cats and animals from shelters are among the most vulnerable animals. We therefore want their protection to be consistently guaranteed and further strengthened within the framework of European rules for scientific purposes.

Street and shelter animals must not become an easily available source for experimental animals.

We would therefore like to discuss Europe-wide:

What is the situation of street dogs, street cats and animal shelter animals in your country?

Should there be stronger and binding European standards of protection?

Should the EU promote castration, vaccination, registration and sustainable population management more than support systems that kill animals?

Is the protection of road and animal shelter animals sufficient in the field of animal testing?

This is not just about animal welfare. Sustainable population management, vaccinations and registration can also relieve municipalities in the long term and contribute to the protection of the population.

For these reasons, we have launched the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Protection of stray dogs, street cats and shelter animals’ – ECI 2026/000003.

👉 Here you can support our European Citizens' Initiative:
https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2026/000003 _de

💬 And right here in the official ECI forum, you can comment, share your experiences and make your own suggestions under this post.

We would like to explicitly invite people from all EU Member States: Citizens, animal welfare organisations, veterinarians, volunteers and municipalities.

Come with me. Their experience can show where Europe needs to act.

 

 

Categories
0
Votes

Leave a comment

To be able to add comments, you need to authenticate or register.

Comments

Cleo Schülein | 30 August 2026

I am active in animal welfare, currently mainly in Romania. 

There and throughout Europe I experience terrible suffering for animals, especially for street animals. 

The whole thing is supported by money from the EU. It flows into the hands of corrupt, unscrupulous people to the highest levels. Business is done with the suffering of animals and the empathy of animal rights activists. 

We as human beings are responsible for helping helpless tormented animals to a dignified life and a future. 

I know a lot of people who think like me and I'm happy to know them. Without these people, this man-made world would be an even greater catastrophe than it already is. 

The EU should do more to promote castration, vaccination, registration and sustainable population management, rather than supporting systems in which animals are killed.

The protection of road and animal shelter animals in the field of animal testing is by no means sufficient.

Apart from that, animal testing must be abolished. There are plenty of alternatives to this. The European Commission is certainly aware of this.

There must be stronger and binding European standards of protection.

Scientific experience shows that humane methods such as castration, vaccination, veterinary care, registration and education are effective, sustainable and ethically justifiable.


 


 

Gisela Urban | 31 August 2026

 Dear Cleo,

Thank you for your clear and powerful words. You're talking to me from the heart.

Precisely because you are active in animal welfare and directly experience the suffering of animals in Romania, you know what we are talking about. It cannot be that the killing of street animals continues to be accepted as a supposed solution. We finally need sustainable action: Castration, vaccinations, registration, veterinary care and education.

Particularly important is your reference to the use of EU funds. Where European money flows, binding animal welfare standards, transparency and effective controls must be ensured. No euro should benefit structures in which animals suffer or are killed.

I am also completely with you on the subject of animal testing. Road and animal shelter animals in particular need special protection and must not be used for experiments because they do not have anyone to stand up for them.

It is precisely for these changes that we are fighting with our European Citizens' Initiative. And people like you, dear Cleo, who don't look away and give the animals their voice, are incredibly important.

Thank you for being by our side. ❤️🐾

banner
Ready to register your initiative?

Want to support an initiative? Need to know more about current or past initiatives?

Go to the European Citizens' Initiative website