The Animal Monitoring Agency has issued a statement in response to footage released by TV Pirveli and animal rights activists. According to the agency, the “targeted campaign contains unverified and false information.” Officials also emphasized that unauthorized exhumations of burial sites are illegal, adding that they have already referred the matter to law enforcement authorities.
“This disinformation aims to mislead the public, discredit the work of the Animal Monitoring Agency, and deliberately damage its reputation. Particularly disturbing is the distortion of facts and allegations that the Animal Monitoring Agency conducts the mass and deliberate extermination of animals.”
The agency noted that the circulation of video materials depicting the animal burial site and the unauthorized actions of a specific group of individuals are designed to discredit the Tbilisi City Hall and artificially fuel public tension.
“The unauthorized opening of burial sites, the exhumation of animal remains, their relocation, and similar actions are not merely illegal—such interference breaches sanitary safety regulations, poses a risk of biological contamination, endangers human health and life, and harms the environment. For their own safety, citizens who participated in digging up the burial sites must undergo a medical examination.
In the public interest, we clarify that the video footage broadcast by TV Pirveli depicts a process that is fully regulated by legislation. The burial ground in question is designated for the disposal of the remains of dogs that have died across Tbilisi due to various causes. These include animals that succumbed to illnesses, died in road traffic accidents, suffered mishaps, or died of natural causes. Across the capital, hundreds of animals are euthanized annually on medical grounds, while thousands die of natural causes.
The Animal Monitoring Agency has never concealed this data. On the contrary, information regarding the agency’s operations and animal management procedures is entirely transparent. Anyone interested can review it in detail on the agency’s official website,” the statement reads.
The agency added that this is well known to the very individuals who, in order to stoke panic and tension, “committed an offense and dug up the burial sites of deceased animals. These individuals have themselves repeatedly used the services of the Animal Monitoring Agency to lay their deceased pets to rest.”
“Particularly outrageous is the slander asserting that live dogs sedated with special drugs were buried at this site, which is an absolute lie and disinformation.
We urge citizens to refrain from the unauthorized opening of burial grounds, exhuming remains, moving them, and any similar unlawful acts.”
The Agency has reportedly already appealed to law enforcement bodies, demanding an investigation into the “acts of vandalism by this group of individuals” and the implementation of appropriate legal measures.
The agency also urged citizens not to succumb to unverified information, to avoid taking part in hazardous and unlawful activities, and to rely exclusively on official, verified data.