A dog became the very first to cross the newly opened Romania-Hungary border, igniting thousands of excited reactions on social media. In a video uploaded to TRT World’s Tiktok page, a tan-colored stray dog was filmed venturing from Hungary into Romania under the applause of dozens of border guards.
The video, which has amassed nearly 7.7 million views, showed the adorable pooch crossing the two countries in Petea, Romania, on Wednesday (January 1).
Highlights
- A stray dog became the first to cross the Romania-Hungary border.
- A video of the dog crossing amassed millions of views.
- Romania and Bulgaria entered the Schengen Zone on January 1, 2025.
The viral clip captured the four-legged traveler perfectly timing their entrance into Romania, as the checkpoint barrier lifted just as the dog strutted toward the neighboring country.
Border guards in uniform holding Hungarian and Romanian flags on their respective ends of the checkpoint were seemingly pleased to welcome their first cross-border visitor as they broke into applause.
A dog became the very first to cross the newly opened Romania-Hungary border
Image credits: Josh Rakower / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Naturally, a slew of people flocked to express their amusement, as a TikTok user commented: “Dog is like I'm done with this country.”
“He was scared still though going through it lol,” a netizen added.
Image credits: coaiecrete
Someone else penned: “And nobody cared to interview him.”
A cybernaut shared: “Doggie traveled more countries than me.”
In the video, a tan-colored stray dog was filmed venturing from Hungary into Romania
Image credits: coaiecrete
A separate individual chimed in: “That dog is confused but happy to participate.”
The newly opened border is likely to see more furry cross-border globetrotters, as both countries are home to a large population of stray dogs.
In Romania, there are an estimated 500,000 to over 600,000 stray dogs, which is more than any other European country, according to PETA UK.
Romania and Bulgaria have become full members of the Schengen zone, expanding the borderless area to 29 members and ending a 13-year wait for the two Eastern European countries, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
The newly opened border is likely to see more furry cross-border globetrotters
Image credits: coaiecrete
The Schengen Zone is a group of European countries that have eliminated border checks, allowing people to travel freely between member nations without needing to show their passports.
This arrangement simplifies travel, boosts tourism, and makes business and trade across Europe much easier.
The expansion happened at midnight local time on Wednesday, after Austria and other countries dropped their objections to the former communist nations joining and celebrated with ceremonies at several border crossings.
Image credits: Look_N2MyEyez
Identification checks at the land borders between Bulgaria and Romania and their neighboring European Union member countries officially ceased at midnight, providing travelers free access to the rest of the 27-member bloc, according to Al Jazeera.
For Bulgarians and Romanians, this means they can now drive to countries like France, Spain, and Norway without needing a passport.
Travelers no longer have to present identification, and vehicles can cross borders without any checks.
On the first day of the new year, Bulgaria's caretaker prime minister, Dimitar Glavchev, symbolically lifted the border barrier at the Kulata crossing between Bulgaria and Greece, Euronews reported on Wednesday.
The viral clip ignited thousands of excited reactions on social media
Image credits: fillbeforeshill
"Today is a historic moment, the fruit of the efforts of many people,” Dimitar said. “It is also a fact thanks to the border police, the military, Frontex staff, and all our allies in the European Union.”
He added: “Together, we will all be much better able to protect the EU's external borders from Greece all the way to Finland.”
Some 1 million ethnic Hungarians live in the Transylvania region of Romania, a legacy of the partition of Hungary following World War I, according to Euronews.
Image credits: Daniil Silantev / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Hungarian Police Headquarters chief Janos Balogh described the removal of border checks at the Hungary-Romania border as a historic and uplifting moment.
He told local media: “We've been waiting a long time, and eagerly, for this moment.”
Janos further noted that this extraordinary event was the result of long years of hard work and perseverance, Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet reported on Wednesday.
"He's a good boy," a reader commented
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