Georgia is launching a state programme aimed at addressing stray dog problem in the country.

As the leader of parliamentary majority said at today’s briefing, number of stray dogs across Georgia ranges between 300,000 and 350,000: “We start this programme to place these animals in appropriate facilities, implement procedures that will prevent the reproduction of stray dogs. We will also develop an electronic programme and adopt regulatory legislation that will make it easier to trace dog ownership”.

As Mamuka Mdinaradze added, under the proposed measures, pet owners will be required to ensure their animals can be identified through microchipping and that ownership can be traced: “We are trying to create legislation that will make it impossible to simply abandon animals outside so easily. For example, abandoning a dog will be punishable by high administrative fines. The initiative would require a long-term commitment. This is not a one-day, one-month or short-term procedure – it needs years, but we are beginning intensive work on this issue”.