Protect Stray Dogs and Cats: Support ECI(2026)000003

OIPA ETS is supporting the dissemination of European Citizens’ Initiative ECI(2026)000003, which aims to strengthen the protection of stray dogs, stray cats and animals living in shelters through areas in which the European Union has the competence to act.

Across Europe and beyond, many stray dogs and cats continue to face abandonment, inadequate access to veterinary care, poor shelter conditions and, in some contexts, the risk of being killed instead of being protected through long-term and humane population-management strategies.

European Citizens’ Initiative ECI(2026)000003 – “EU initiative to protect stray dogs, stray cats and animals in shelters in the EU/non-EU countries” was launched to bring these concerns to the attention of the European institutions and to call for stronger action at EU level.

The European Commission partially registered the initiative on 10 February 2026, allowing the collection of statements of support for those objectives that fall within the competences of the European Union.

In particular, the initiative calls for EU action concerning animal shelters housing cats and dogs when those shelters participate in the Union market, as well as measures addressing the use of animals for scientific purposes, including stray and shelter animals.

It also seeks stronger animal-welfare safeguards in the European Union’s relations with third countries. The organisers are asking for minimum standards for the protection of stray dogs and cats to be considered in international trade or association agreements and for access to EU funding to be made conditional on compliance with such standards.

At the heart of the initiative is the call for a more sustainable and humane approach to stray animal management.

Neutering and vaccination programmes, access to veterinary care, safe accommodation and responsible adoption are essential tools for addressing stray animal populations. However, individual measures cannot work in isolation. Sterilising an animal, for example, cannot provide lasting protection if that same animal may later be captured, confined in unsuitable conditions or killed.

Effective protection requires long-term strategies combining prevention, veterinary care, responsible shelter management, monitoring and lasting safeguards for animals once they are removed from the streets.

The situation in Romania

Among the cases highlighted by the organisers is the situation in Romania, including that of the Golești facility.

According to information shared with OIPA by the organisers of the initiative, 28 dogs were killed at the Golești facility on 10 February 2026 and another 22 dogs on 11 February.

In the months that followed, animal rescuers worked to save as many remaining dogs as possible. According to the initiative’s rescue coordination team, approximately 227 dogs had been rescued by the end of September 2026.

The organisers, together with Tierversuchsgegner e. V., also report having provided financial support for veterinary treatment, accommodation, care and rescue activities.

These figures have been communicated to OIPA International by the organisers and the organisations involved in the rescue effort.

The case illustrates a broader concern: managing stray animal populations cannot rely only on emergency interventions. Sustainable solutions require prevention, long-term protection, effective animal-welfare standards and adequate systems of care.

Why EU action matters

The European Citizens’ Initiative also draws attention to the role that European policies, funding and international cooperation can play in promoting better standards for animal protection.

Within the areas where the European Union has the legal competence to act, the initiative seeks to ensure that EU mechanisms contribute to better protection rather than allowing practices that may expose stray and shelter animals to avoidable suffering.

Linking EU funding and international cooperation to minimum, verifiable standards could encourage more sustainable approaches based on prevention, veterinary assistance and responsible management.

The initiative also asks the European institutions to address the use of stray and shelter animals for scientific purposes, another area specifically included among the objectives accepted for registration by the European Commission.

Citizens can make their voices heard

A European Citizens’ Initiative is an official EU instrument that allows citizens to invite the European Commission to consider proposing legislation in areas where the European Union has the power to act.

To be submitted successfully to the Commission, an initiative must collect at least one million valid statements of support, while also reaching the required minimum thresholds in at least seven EU Member States.

If these requirements are met, the European Commission must formally examine the initiative and provide an official response on the action it intends to take.

OIPA therefore invites European citizens to learn more about ECI(2026)000003 and, if they share its objectives, to support the initiative through the official European Citizens’ Initiative platform.

Protecting stray dogs, stray cats and animals in shelters requires long-term commitment, responsible policies and solutions based on prevention, care and effective animal-welfare safeguards.

Stray and shelter animals need lasting protection, not temporary solutions.