The Millions of Friends Association (AMP) is one of Romania’s leading animal welfare organizations and the country’s oldest organization of its kind.
Since 1997, we have been developing projects that provide protection, care, and a second chance to animals in distress. From abandoned dogs and cats to bears rescued from captivity, as well as other wild and domestic animals in need of help, our mission remains the same: to step in wherever we are needed. In doing so, we help build a more responsible and compassionate society.
Over the years, AMP has rescued and cared for more than 35,000 animals, becoming a leading name in animal welfare both in Romania and internationally.
Animals cannot ask for help. They cannot defend their rights or tell their own stories. That is why we exist.
AMP fights animal cruelty, abandonment, and exploitation through rescue, care, education, and changing attitudes. We respond to emergencies, provide shelter and treatment for animals in need, and develop projects that create lasting change.
We envision a world in which animals are respected and protected, and organizations like AMP are no longer needed.
AMP’s story began in 1997 with one person who chose to turn compassion into action.
Cristina Lapis founded the Millions of Friends Association (AMP) at a time when animal welfare was virtually nonexistent in Romania. Laws were weak, financial resources were limited, and very few people were willing to believe that things could change.
But… SHE chose to take the first step…!
Step by step, together with her husband, Roger Lapis, and a team that shared her vision, she built one of the most respected animal welfare organizations in Eastern Europe.
First came AMP Victory, the sanctuary where dogs rescued from abandonment, accidents, cruelty, or illness are given the chance of a new life. Next came AMP Libearty, the world’s largest sanctuary for brown bears rescued from captivity, followed by AMP Hope, home to more than 60 domestic animals rescued from situations of extreme cruelty.
Because change also requires education, nearly 1,000 children take part each year in educational programs held in schools throughout Brașov and the surrounding communities.
Today, tens of thousands of animals are alive because, nearly 30 years ago, someone had the courage to believe that every life deserves a chance.
The AMP Libearty Brown Bear Sanctuary is Europe’s largest bear welfare project.
Today, the sanctuary offers a second chance to bears rescued from cages, substandard zoos, circuses, and other places where they were kept in appalling conditions.
The AMP Victory Sanctuary offers a second chance to homeless animals that come to us during the most difficult moments of their lives.
We provide emergency medical care to animals affected by accidents, cruelty, or serious illnesses, giving them the treatment, care, and time they need to recover.
We believe that change begins with education.
Through the programs and activities we run in schools and at the Hope Educational Center, we help children understand animals’ needs and develop respect, empathy, and a sense of responsibility toward them.
Behind every life saved are people who chose not to remain indifferent. Caregivers, veterinarians, specialists, volunteers, donors, and partners work together every day toward the same goal: giving animals the chance of a better life.
AMP is more than projects and sanctuaries. It is a community united by the same belief: that every life deserves protection and that kindness can change lives.
Together, we turn suffering into hope.
We cannot change the past of the animals we rescue, but together, we can change their future.
Every donation, adoption, sponsorship, and act of support directly contributes to rescuing and caring for animals in need.
Together, we can provide more than food and shelter. We can offer safety, recovery, and a second chance at life.
