Stray dogs are being shot in Abkhazia, while officials say there is no other way

In Abkhazia’s Gali District the local municipality has decided to shoot stray dogs in order to deal with the problem of packs of wild dogs who have become a threat to people and cattle.

This decision has upset many in society. People say and write that the district’s municipality chose the easiest and most barbaric solution, while the matter could be resolved in a different way such as creating shelters for stray animals.

The Deputy Chief of the Administration of Gali District, Astamur Asklandzia, says that the local authorities had considered shelters, but that it wasn’t feasible:

“However, we need time to implement such projects, but the dogs are attacking people here and now – we had no choice but to resort to inhumane measures,” he said.

In the past week there were several cases of homeless dogs attacking people, four of which included people being bitten.

The operation began on 18 November. The city authorities coordinated with the Sanitary-Epidemiological Station and the State Veterinary Service.

“People can’t walk in the street, children can’t walk to school, and even adults on their way to the market often have to be on alert because of the attacking dogs,” says Aslandzia.

He believes that when it comes to the issue of the security of people and the lives of animals, there is no other solution.

So far, no one in Abkhazia has taken the initiative to create shelters for stray animals.

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