After Bulgaria and Romania finally shed their border checks and joined the Schengen, the officials on the Hungary-Romania border gathered to celebrate the significant milestone as crossings between the two countries were officially opened.
The celebration only got better when an unexpected traveller became the first to cross this newly open border. A video showed a stray dog walking from Hungary to Romania and being met with applause from officials who lined up on the side of the border. The heartwarming moment quickly went viral on social media.
The Schengen zone symbolises European integration by allowing passport-free travel across member nations. This development means that citizens of Bulgaria and Romania can now travel to other Schengen countries without undergoing border checks.
Take a look at the video here:
Internet hails ‘goodest boy’
The video earned praised from users across social media who hailed the dog for his symbolic free walk from one country to another. "The dog perfectly timed the entrance as the checkpoint barrier lifted up. The animal received a warm welcome as border guards started clapping," read the caption of the post which quickly gained thousands of views.
{{/usCountry}}The video earned praised from users across social media who hailed the dog for his symbolic free walk from one country to another. "The dog perfectly timed the entrance as the checkpoint barrier lifted up. The animal received a warm welcome as border guards started clapping," read the caption of the post which quickly gained thousands of views.
{{/usCountry}}"Most positive thing I’ve seen today. Somebody adopt that sweet dog," said one user.
"Give him infinite headpats. Goodest boy!" said another user, while a third joked: "He shall be named King of Romania now."
One user remarked that the dog's migration can only be a good thing for Romania. "Hungary's loss, Romania's gain," he quipped.
"Damn! He was supposed to stay undercover. So much for our covert operation… No kibble for him this week!" joked another user.
Interestingly, both Hungary and Romania are grappling with an abundance of stray dogs with about 2,000 dying every month in Hungary. Over 5,00,000 stray dogs live in Hungary while the number in Romania is one lakh more.
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