Romania Animal Rescue Launches Three-Day Spayathon to Address the Local Stray Animal Crisis

Romania Animal Rescue’s mobile veterinary mission will help deliver sterilization, treatment, and prevention services to underserved animal communities in Romania. End Quote

Spay and neuter missions like our Spayathon are crucial to managing animal populations throughout the region

(1888PressRelease) April 23, 2026 - LIVERMORE, Calif. – Romania Animal Rescue (RAR), the organization focused on improving animal welfare by reducing the overpopulation of strays, announces a new Three-day Spayathon initiative. The goal of this effort is to expand access to essential veterinary care in underserved rural Romanian communities.

Set to take place between April 27 and 29, the Spayathon leverages a modern, mobile veterinary hospital in the Perisoru and Ceacu areas of Calarasi County. This is ground zero for thousands of stray animals without consistent access to medical care.

“Spay and neuter missions like our Spayathon are crucial to managing animal populations throughout the region,” says President and CEO of Romania Animal Rescue, Nancy Janes. “Our veterinarians, support staff and outreach experts can intervene and help with the growing stray pet population. Our three-day focus prevents long-term suffering for thousands of animals.”

Led by Dr. Aurelian Stefan, the RAR Mobile Hospital Caravan team will address the issue by offering spay and neuter surgeries (for both owned and stray pets), vaccinations, parasite treatments and transportation for severe animal cases requiring the aid of the Center of Hope Hospital near Bucharest.

For years, Romania’s stray animal population has grown out of control. Rough estimates place the number of stray dogs at more than 1 million and stray cats at more than 500,000 in the area. Without widespread sterilization programs like the Spayathon, these populations can grow rapidly, placing undue strain on local ecological systems.

RAR has a long history of animal care and prevention methods to reduce stray populations. Having performed over 152,000 spay and neuter surgeries, RAR helps slow the overpopulation cycle that often ends in pet abandonment, animal injury and overcrowded shelters.

“Every single surgery we can conduct has a ripple effect in the community,” Janes continued. “One single animal spayed or neutered prevents potentially hundreds of future births. That means fewer pets on the streets exposed to the harsh realities of starvation and disease.”

A secondary goal of the three-day Spayathon is to highlight how mobile veterinary outreach throughout RAR can bridge the gap between abundant urban resources and stretched-thin rural needs. The current veterinary infrastructure in Calarasi County is limited. Missions like the Spayathon demonstrate how expansive resource allocation can have a significant positive impact and opportunity for better animal care.

RAR operates several veterinary facilities in the area, including Center of Hope, the largest veterinary hospital in Romania, Family Vet Hospital in Craiova and mobile clinics like the Spayathon mission. While some funding programs exist, the success of such missions largely depends on public donations. A small gift of $25 can fund a single spay or neuter surgery, meaning every small contribution helps directly reduce animal suffering at scale. To learn more about the upcoming April 27-29 Spayathon or to support Romania Animal Rescue’s ongoing work, visit www.romaniaanimalrescue.org.

About Romania Animal Rescue – Romania Animal Rescue Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing animal suffering in Romania and beyond. It does business under the name Animal Spay and Neuter International in the UK. For over 20 years, RAR has worked to establish sustainable animal welfare practices through a combination of prevention, treatment and community collaboration, including a global educational camp. Learn more about the nonprofit and its impact by visiting the official website at https://www.romaniaanimalrescue.org/.

###

Visit Romania Animal Rescue Website

space