Watch: Stray Dog Becomes First To Cross The Newly Opened Romania-Hungary Border – News18

Last Updated:January 07, 2025, 11:59 IST

A video has surfaced online that shows a stray dog casually strolling near the newly accessible divide. Eventually, the furry animal passes the newly opened Hungary-Romania border, moments after the checkpoint barrier is lifted up.

As Bulgaria and Romania officially joined the Schengen zone, officials celebrated the end of border checks between Hungary and Romania. Amid the celebrations, a heartwarming and unexpected moment occurred on the Hungary-Romania border that captured the world’s attention. Surprisingly, a four-legged wanderer became the first official crosser, creating a viral moment of unexpected joy.

A video has surfaced online that shows a stray dog casually strolling near the newly accessible divide. Eventually, the furry animal passes the newly opened Hungary-Romania border, moments after the checkpoint barrier is lifted up. Upon this, the uniformed border guards holding the Romanian and Hungarian flags at each end of the checkpoint erupt in cheers and clap to greet their first cross-border guest.

“Stray dog accidentally becomes the first to cross the Romania-Hungary border after Romania became a full member of the European Union’s Schengen area. 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.

With more than 3 lakh views and counting, the heartwarming video quickly went viral, capturing the hearts of several viewers. Upon watching the clip, a barrage of Instagram users chimed into the comments section of the post to share their views. A majority of users couldn’t stop themselves from showering praise on the dog for his symbolic free walk from one country to another. Others expressed that this incident has now become a part of history.

“Most positive thing I’ve seen today. Somebody adopt that sweet dog,” exclaimed a user.

Another added, “This is amazing; he deserves all the pats! What a trailblazer!!”

“That is soooo cute—part of history now!” read a comment.

Adding a tweak of humour, a user humourously said, “He shall be named King of Romania now.”

“I’m sure he appreciates the applause, but a sausage would be much better,” said an individual.

An account remarked, “Hahaha, what a warm moment. Dogs are the best!”

Bulgaria and Romania removed land border restrictions to other European Union (EU) members on January 1. This made them full members of the Schengen zone, which allows residents to travel between countries without passport checks.

In 2007, both Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union. Although the two nations met all the qualifications to join the zone since 2010, other nations opposed their admission because of unsustainable migration concerns and the burden on the social system in the wealthier parts of the EU.