Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze stated on Tuesday that five or six individuals involved in exhuming stray dog bodies should be "taken away and put to sleep." He made the remarks while defending the city’s Animal Monitoring Agency against accusations of mass killing. The comments followed a report by opposition-leaning TV Pirveli on 31 October, which showed footage of dogs buried in pits at a local cemetery. That broadcast triggered public outrage and protests across the capital. Activists have reported multiple cases of vaccinated and tagged stray dogs disappearing from streets in recent months, raising concerns about secret culling by authorities.
City Hall shifts blame to protesters
City Hall defended its burial practices but accused the activists of threatening agency employees and interfering with shelter operations. The municipality claimed that protesters published photographs of staff on social media, labeling them "murderers" and "torturers." It also alleged that the group unlawfully excavated burial sites owned by the municipal company Hermes. On Thursday, City Hall called on law enforcement agencies to take legal action against the unidentified individuals. The statement warned that those involved would "have to answer before the law." Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended Kaladze’s initial comments, describing them as figurative rather than literal threats. The Prosecutor’s Office declined to open an investigation into the mayor, citing the absence of signs of a crime.
Activists demand transparency and accountability
Animal rights activist Natia Chikovani condemned the mayor’s statements, arguing that such threats require immediate consequences in any normal country. She told OC Media that Georgia is an authoritarian state where officials face no repercussions for threatening citizens. Chikovani demanded that Tbilisi City Hall, the Animal Monitoring Agency, and the National Food Agency provide answers regarding animal registration and deaths. She questioned why animals entering shelters are not registered in an online database as required by law. Furthermore, she requested access to records showing which animals were sterilised and assigned identification numbers. Chikovani also called for the publication of medical assessments and veterinary authorisations required for euthanasia. In April 2026, private shelter owner Tamaz Elizbarashvili published footage from the Gori State Dog Shelter showing thick smoke at night. He alleged a strong smell of burning flesh and fur, though the National Food Agency inspected the site on 1 April and found no violations. The agency rejected allegations of incineration and urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information.
