Thousands march for animal rights in Bucharest

Around 4,000 people joined an animal-rights protest in Bucharest on Sunday, October 4, according to Digi24. The demonstration, held on World Animal Day, brought together campaigners and representatives of more than 70 animal-protection organisations from across Romania.

Participants gathered outside the National Theatre in downtown Bucharest before marching toward Victoriei Square. Some travelled from cities including Iași, Timișoara, Constanța, Satu Mare, Târgu Jiu, Târgu Mureș, and Suceava, while others attended with their pets.

“Their lives matter” and “We are their voice, the voice of animals” were among the slogans chanted during the march.

The protest was organised by the Together for Animals Federation alongside animal-welfare organisations.

“We no longer want a country where animal suffering is normalised,” the groups said, as reported by Digi24.

Campaigners called on the authorities to change the way stray animals are managed and give greater priority to sterilisation, including for owned pets. They argued that this would help reduce abandonment and uncontrolled breeding.

The organisations also demanded an end to the euthanasia of stray animals. They claimed that at least 99,512 dogs had been killed in publicly funded shelters in recent years, while broader estimates cited by organisers put the number of euthanised dogs above 200,000.

The protest also addressed the treatment of cats, farm animals, and wildlife. Participants highlighted the conditions experienced by poultry and other animals on farms, livestock transported for export, and mink and chinchillas killed for fur.