Tbilisi Mayor accuses political groups of spreading disinformation over stray animal issue

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has accused certain political groups of deliberately spreading false information regarding the issue of stray animals in the capital.

Responding to a media question on Thursday, Kaladze described the topic as highly sensitive and criticized what he called attempts to exploit it for political purposes.

“The issue of stray dogs is extremely sensitive. Many people genuinely care about it, and using it for political purposes is categorically unacceptable. The public has seen which political parties and politicians were behind this. It is deeply unfortunate when disinformation is spread deliberately,” Kaladze said.

He acknowledged that challenges remained but stressed that Tbilisi City Hall had taken significant steps in recent years to address the problem.

“Of course, there are challenges in this area. Speaking about Tbilisi, I can outline what has been done over the years - the number of sterilization and castration procedures carried out is unprecedented. In addition, new projects are underway, including the construction of a shelter in the Gldani district with capacity for 500 dogs,” he said.

According to the mayor, such initiatives were aimed at systematically improving animal welfare management in the city.

Kaladze also rejected reports alleging extreme abuse of stray animals, including claims that dogs were being burned alive, calling them baseless.

“No evidence or even a single confirmed case has been presented. Such claims are deliberate falsehoods,” he added.