Leova is a city in Moldova, located 92 km southwest of the national capital, Chişinău. It is the administrative center of Leova District. The city is situated on the east bank of the river Prut bordering Romania. More recently Leova is known as the place where stray dogs go to die. The yearly round-up, by the publicly elected communist government, of stray dogs is one of the largest public mass killing of defenseless animals in the region.