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Description
Romania is currently dealing with one of the most serious problems that needs urgent action - the very high number of feral dogs and cats. In order to cover the entire complexity of the situation the project aims to create a proper context for public debate and action for all the stakeholders. The purpose of the project is to correctly define the problem of feral pets and to reach a social agreement on the main causes and effects of the problem in order to be able to find viable long-term solutions to this problem. The project aims towards creating a multidisciplinary and participatory framework for public debate on the subject by creating thematic working groups and an online platform in which the feral pets’ problem will be tackled from 3 perspectives: social, environmental and animal protection and welfare. A participatory strategy and action plan will result from a series of debates which involve the project partners as well as relevant public authorities and experts. To raise awareness of the general public and the relevant institutions on the subject and their impact on the environment an advocacy campaign will be implemented. The campaign will be done with the partners by promoting participatory methods and civil society involvement. The project will be carried out in partnership with two other organizations that will cover through their experience and expertise different dimensions of the feral pets’ problem. The project partners are: Natura 2000 Coalition which has over 20 members among the most important environmental NGOs and which will coordinate the discussions on the environmental dimension; the Association for Community Partnership which has extended expertise on the development of policies, which will coordinate the participatory process on the social dimension.
Summary of project results
Romania is facing a critical issue that demands immediate attention: the the very high number of feral dogs and cats. To address this multifaceted problem comprehensively, the project has been launched to facilitate a meaningful dialogue and coordinated action among all stakeholders. The project''s goal is to accurately identify the challenges posed by feral pets and foster societal consensus on their root causes and impacts.
Through several key activities, this project has laid the groundwork for fostering social unity and engagement, aiming to find consensus on the complex issue of roaming animals. Essential information was provided, and communication channels were established, crucial for the success of any civic engagement and advocacy project. This directly contributed to increasing the visibility of the project, partners, and stakeholders. Over 150 participants were engaged across three working groups, resulting in outputs such as legislative analysis, stakeholder analysis, a resource library, and a database of relevant institutions. More than 500 requests were sent to relevant institutions. The project included the creation of a national debate platform involving 151 members to address issues relevant to the project. The goal was to define problems and formulate solutions collaboratively. A dedicated team of five individuals was tasked with developing and executing an advocacy campaign.
Over 150 experts nationwide participated in the discussions, with 117 actively engaging in the meetings of the three thematic working groups. These discussions centered on the complex issue of roaming domestic animals, their management, and mitigating their impact on society, health, public safety, and the environment. The objective was to foster civic engagement and increase awareness of the issue''s complexity through an active advocacy and communication campaign. This campaign operated within a multidisciplinary framework to encompass various perspectives, all aimed at defining the issue as accurately as possible.
A synthesized document was created to define the problem, consolidating conclusions drawn from the discussions within the thematic working groups. This document also proposed a series of strategic actions to find solutions. Facilitated discussions among experts fostered communication opportunities between different representatives of interested parties, at both institutional and civil society levels, as well as with government representatives. The advocacy and communication strategies were developed based on these discussions.