(Reuters) – In the blistering heat of a Caucasian summer, Tbilisi’s stray dogs and cats are struggling to survive.
All year round, the Georgian capital plays host to a lively population of four-legged friends. According to activists, around 500,000 stray dogs and cats live in the country alongside 3.7 million humans.
Though the strays spend their days wandering Tbilisi’s streets, some are lucky enough to spend the nights in shops and homes, receiving food and shelter from kindly Georgians.
But with Georgia setting new temperature records amid Europe’s rolling heatwave, Tbilisi’s animals have been suffering. Activists have stepped in.
Natia Chikovani, co-founder of the Animal Project, a campaigning welfare organisation, said they face “significant challenges” in the heat. “Stray pets suffer from dehydration.”
Animal Project volunteers have been out in Tbilisi, giving strays water. The group hopes to persuade those Georgians who don’t much care for animals to be more friendly.
“The attitude was not very good,” said Mariam Tsertsvadze, another Animal Project co-founder. “The attitude is that they are dirty, they don’t want to touch them.”
The group hopes to persuade business owners to allow strays to shelter indoors during the hottest part of the day, and to persuade the government to do more for animal welfare.
The activists want more funds for sterilisation to reduce the number of strays, while new schemes to make it easier for people adopt animals will help change attitudes towards strays.
Keso Baramidze, co-founder of a Tbilisi cat shelter, said half his charges have been with him since it opened two years ago.
“It’s so hard in Georgia to find new owners and forever homes for cats and dogs,” he said.
Tsertsvadze said animals have the right to exist alongside people.
“Some people think that this planet is only for humans. It’s not,” she said.
(Reporting by Roman Churikov; Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Giles Elgood)
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