What I wasn’t expecting from Georgia was to see so many street dogs. We saw a lot in India and there are similarities in the way they’re tolerated and even cared for. In the parks and on waste ground can be seen rudimentary kennels made from scrap wood and metal. Some even have the names of the dog on the kennel. The sun can be strong here so the kennels are important to give them some shelter.
The dogs seem to be extremely well fed. Some are terribly overweight. They lie in the sun in parks, others under trees, and in the middle of the pavement so that you have to go around them. Some of them are very friendly and even come to you looking for you to stroke them, something I’ve been wary of since being attacked by a dog in my own town.
Each dog has an ear tag which indicates that they have been captured, vaccinated against rabies, treated for parasites and neutered before being released again. Georgia uses a trap, neuter, vaccinate and release system rather than destroying stray animals, and in Tbilisi especially the dogs are almost treated as part of the neighbourhood. Locals refer to them as “community dogs” or “yard dogs”.
Residents leave out food and water for them and they seem completely unbothered by the traffic and crowds walking past them.
There are, of course, mixed feelings about them. Many people are affectionate towards the dogs and know them individually, while others are nervous, particularly after reports of bites. The authorities continue trying to reduce the numbers humanely through neutering and vaccination programmes. Tens of thousands of dogs have already been treated across Georgia in recent years.
What struck me most was how calm the majority of the dogs seemed. Many simply want a pat on the head before wandering off to sleep in the shade again. For all the problems that come with stray animals, there is something rather touching about the way so many Georgians quietly look after them.