Georgia

A viral video of puppies in a small shelter caused public outrage, resulting in protests.

A video showing the poor treatment of puppies in the Georgian city of Gori went viral on social media, causing outrage. Reportedly, up to 300 puppies were placed in a small shelter room without care, animal rights activists claim. On Friday, a local activist took some of the dogs and shared videos of them on social media.

Vado Machavariani, the leader of the political movement 12Sartuli, announced a protest at the shelter in Gori on Thursday.

On Friday, Machavariani posted a picture of him holding puppies, claiming that the group had rescued more than 100 puppies. He said that when they entered the dog shelter it was already cleaned and organised, compared to the video that circulated, however the shelter did not allow them to take pictures.

The rescue came after Mariam Tsertsvade, the co-founder/CEO of Animal Project, an animal welfare organisation, posted a video on Thursday of the puppies, claiming the puppies were hungry and thirsty, with some locked up alongside dead animals.

‘Every hour a puppy dies here’, Tserstvadze claimed. She also addressed the National Food Agency, asking ‘Aren't you obligated to check them?’

The National Food Agency bears responsibility for Georgia’s stray dog population.

On Thursday, Shida Kartli Intermunicipal Agency for Domestic Homeless Animals made a statement on social media responding to the viral video. The agency explained that a scheduled cleaning and disinfection was taking place and the puppies were placed in the outside cage temporarily.

‘The mentioned footage was spread out of context and caused the population to be deliberately misled’, the agency added.

Additionally, the agency said that they were actively working to find new owners for these abandoned puppies.

‘We call on the population to show responsibility, not to leave the animals on the street and to ensure their sterilization/castration and registration in time. Caring for animals is the responsibility of each owner’.

It is the latest in a series of controversial incidents surrounding the alleged mistreatment of animals in state institutions in Georgia.

In April 2026, private dog shelter owner Tamaz Elizbarashvili shared a video of Gori State dog shelter, where a thick smoke was being emitted at night. Elizbarashvili claimed there was a horrific stench of burning flesh and fur hanging in the air. The National Food Agency inspected the Gori state dog shelter on 1 April and found no violations. The agency stated that the accusations regarding incinerating animals were false.

After the Gori crematorium video was released, the National Food Agency issued a formal statement urging people to refrain from spreading ‘unverified and incorrect information’.

The agency categorically denied that stray dogs were being taken to be euthanised, or ‘put to sleep’, asserting instead that the animals are only transported for essential veterinary procedures. Furthermore, the agency defended its policy of not returning dogs to schools and parks, framing the relocation to ‘safe locations’ as a necessary measure for public security.