A cramped, filthy pen, pervasive dampness, and hundreds of terrified, emaciated puppies huddled together. Late last week, a short video clip from the municipal shelter in Gori went viral across social media within hours. Animal rights defenders, volunteers, and activists rushed to the facility, launching an unprecedented large-scale puppy rescue operation in Georgia.
The very next day after the video was posted, a vocal protest gathered at the gates of the Gori shelter. Despite clashes and resistance from staff, protesters managed to open the doors and begin evacuating the animals. Eyewitnesses reported finding the remains of dead dogs in the same enclosure. According to various estimates, between one hundred and three hundred animals were removed from the premises.
According to volunteers, severely weakened puppies were dying in cars en route to Tbilisi. Most of the survivors were later diagnosed with dangerous viral infections and conditions brought on by unsanitary confinement, a total lack of isolation units, and simple starvation. An emergency fundraising drive was launched immediately; veterinary clinics began treating critical patients free of charge, and citizens brought whatever supplies they could to makeshift shelters: pet food, blankets, medications, and diapers.
On Sunday, the Vetex veterinary clinic, which admitted a large group of the rescued dogs, reported that the condition of most patients had been stabilized. The puppies have already been treated for parasites, the critically ill are receiving IV infusions, and the weakest are being hand-fed. The clinic stated that staff are adhering to a strict quarantine protocol and that, should this trajectory continue, the immediate threat to the puppies’ lives will pass.
The Gori municipal shelter attempted to suppress the mounting public outcry. A statement appeared on the Facebook page of the regional Stray Animal Management Agency claiming the facility was merely undergoing routine cleaning, which was why all the puppies had been temporarily corralled into a single pen. However, hardly anyone accepted their explanation.
The Gori shelter’s reputation had been compromised long before this scandal. Back in the spring, footage circulated on social media showing plumes of smoke rising from an incinerator located on the facility’s grounds. The author of the video alleged that the furnace had operated through the night, blanketing the surrounding area in a strong burning smell. Animal rights activists suspected shelter management of carrying out the mass extermination of dogs—including live ones. While no official confirmation or direct evidence was established at the time, the latest crisis has only reinforced long-standing allegations of cruelty and opacity surrounding the Gori facility.
The scandal in Gori is symptomatic of a broader systemic crisis. Throughout 2026, protests against mass dog-catching operations have persisted across Georgia. Animal welfare advocates argue that even vaccinated and sterilized dogs are vanishing without a trace from the streets, allegedly dumped in remote wastelands and left to die, with no transparent oversight of their fate.
On paper, Georgia has established a legal framework to govern animal welfare. In 2025, legislation was enacted prohibiting pet abandonment and introducing mandatory registration. A state-funded program for trapping and sterilizing stray animals has been operational since February 2026, followed in July by a three-year moratorium on breeding certain dog breeds.
Yet, year after year, it is not officials but ordinary people—volunteers, caretakers, and concerned citizens—who step in to save these animals. The events at the Gori shelter only underscore that humane treatment of animals in the country still relies almost entirely on public compassion.
