August 1-31: Stray Animal Rescue Updates from Georgia
August has been a busy and fulfilling month for Zero Strays Georgia as we continue our work rescuing and caring for stray animals in need. This month, we focused on sterilizations in Zugdidi and through mobile clinics in rural areas. We also welcomed new strays into foster care with local families, preparing them for adoption. Among our many rescues, we are especially grateful for our little miracle, Hope, who was found just in time in Zugdidi and is now on her way to a forever home.
Adoption Success Stories
We’re excited to share that several animals have found their new homes in Germany, the UK, and France. Lou is sending us her greetings from Paris, and we couldn’t be happier for her. We are also thrilled to update you on Jara, a former stray from Georgia, who is now living her best life with Martina in Munich. Jara’s story is a testament to the transformative power of adoption.
Additionally, we are overjoyed to share new photos of LouLou, a dog who has faced serious health challenges, including babesiosis and cancer. Despite her struggles, LouLou is now thriving and preparing to embark on her journey to her forever home.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in adoption, volunteering, donating, or learning more about our sterilization programs and foster care opportunities, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us via email at zerostraysgeorgia@gmail.com.
One of the worst cases in a long time
Hope is one of the hardest cases we’ve seen in a long time. She is actually an adult dog, a mere three kilo, with severe skin disease, starvation and anemia. We’re not sure what happened to Hope but are trying everything we can to help her. She is in our foster care, under medical treatment and plenty to eat. Help us prevent animal cruelty and gruesome suffering by donating, volunteering, fostering or adopting.
A quick hello from Jara
Jara is a blind former municipal shelter puppy who was rescued by Zero Strays Georgia and who found her forever home with Martina Graf in Munich earlier this year.
Martina shares “Jara is doing great. She is very self-confident and a little stubborn. She loves water and always tries to catch the raindrops when it rains”. Jara is also attending nose work classes and was a lucky paw to get her own little paddling pool to cool off on hot summer days. She truly deserves the beautiful forever home she got!
Sterilisations
We performed a lot of sterilisations in August. Our volunteers Irma Jejelava, Lalita Makatsaria, Salome Partsvania, Mariam Shekiladze and local vets George Churgulia and Emzar Chachua have done a massive job sterilising strays and pets of poor families in Zugdidi, Kakhati, Shamgona and Darcheli.
Focusing on sterilisations is very important as the source of the issue is that families breed dogs and cats at home (either for profit or because they don’t have the means/the incentive/the awareness/the access necessary to sterilise their pets), and there’s more supply than demand, so animals end up in the streets, where they continue to breed.
Things that need to happen for the population to decrease:
– Neuter at least 70% of females (otherwise the population won’t decrease), so do CNVR;
– Ban or restrict breeding at home;
– Require microchipping (vets shouldn’t be allowed to serve an animal without a chip) which will make it harder for families to abandon their pets;
– Raise awareness (especially in rural regions);
– Create municipal centers/shelters where strays and domesticated animals can receive neutering and other medical aid;
– Incentivize adopting instead of buying (with financial incentives perhaps).
Medical treatment and feeding rounds
A part of our daily work in the streets is to treat skin disease, provide feeding rounds and carry out emergency surgeries of the most affected strays. Together with our volunteers, we cover feeding and skin disease treatments across the Zugdidi region. Emergency surgeries are carried out in cases of severe injury or infection that, if left untreated, will result in a painful death.
Lou moves to Paris
One eye Lou saved from Chakvi found his forever home with a Georgian family in Paris.
Hot spot for abandoning dogs
Baramia Street in Zugdidi is a hot spot for abandoning dogs. It is an area with several big buildings and a lot of strays. Our local volunteer Chacho is doing her everything to help dogs with food and necessary medicine, and we do what we can to help her. Food, skin disease medicine and lots of love are essential to minimise the suffering for abandoned dogs. And of course, help them find a forever home. Can you help? Email us at zerostraysgeorgia@gmail.com
LouLou's recovery
Shortly after her cancer surgery, LouLou was diagnosed with babeosis and became very ill. Mariam cared for her at home, alongside home visits from the Lucky Paw clinic in Tbilisi. There were moments when we though LouLou would not make it, but she pulled through and is now healthy and ready for her own forever home.
Volunteer Diana shares her experiences
We are so appreciative whenever a fellow animal lover wants to support us. Whether it is helping out in Georgia or remotely – it really helps us a great deal!
Diana is a 29-year old, originally from Georgia, who travels the world and does different kinds of volunteering. We were thrilled that she was able to help us take photos and write descriptions of our beautiful foster dogs who are actively looking for their very own forever homes. When asked why she chose to volunteer for Zero Strays Georgia, she laughs and says:
-It is simple. I love dogs and the energy of they share. I’ve been following Zero Strays Georgia on Instagram, was impressed and inspired by the work and wanted to help.
She perceives the situation for strays in Georgia is extremely alarming with a lot of strays in the street. And it should not be up to volunteers to resolve such national issues.
-I highly recommend people to donate to Zero Strays Georgia or get involved in hands-on volunteering work.