The other day, while cycling near Lisi Lake in Tbilisi, we discovered a few interesting places. I have already written a blog post about Tbilisi Hippodrome, which we stumbled upon by accident.
By accident, we also discovered a Tbilisi dog shelter.
While cycling from Tbilisi Hippodrome back to Lisi Lake, my eyes caught an interesting scene—in the middle of nowhere, people were doing some exercises. So we decided to approach, and the closer we got, the louder a dog started barking. And there it was—A Tbilisi Dog Shelter.
I first heard about this organization at the last Christmas Charity Fair held at Sheraton Hotel. I even subscribed to a volunteer list by providing my email, but I never got a response. Well, things are as they are.
We were quickly handed two dogs to take for a walk in the nearby meadows, so we did.
It was lame, funny, and socially responsible all at once. First, we must acknowledge the problem of stray pets in Tbilisi and Georgia, so we must be socially responsible. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry would say:
We are responsible for those we have tamed.
It was lame because we were not prepared to walk a dog at all (remember, we were just cycling). It was funny because it's fun to do lame yet socially responsible things together, right?
Some fitness activities with dogs at Tbilisi Shelter
Tbilisi dog shelter near Lisi Lake
Dog shelter
At Tbilisi dog shelter
Tbilisi Dog Shelter
Walking a dog at Tbilisi Shelter - Lovely Penny
Tbilisi dog shelter neighbors
At Tbilisi dog shelter
House dog
Sheep
In short: Volunteers here can walk dogs, play with them, and even do fitness activities together.
The longer version: It's a Dutch-financed project, according to information found on a website with a Dutch domain (.nl):
Welcome to DOG – Dog Organization Georgia
DOG is a foundation that rescues dogs in Georgia. There are about 25,000 stray dogs in the capital alone, causing issues due to hunger and disease and posing a danger to traffic.
Because of this, they are often mistreated, hit, or captured
DOG has set itself the goal of improving the lives of these dogs by:
- - Providing shelter and medical care
- - Conducting sterilization campaigns
- - Running information campaigns
- - Consulting with authorities
- - Running an adoption program (in Georgia)
Visit www.dogshelter.nl or Dog Organization Georgia on Facebook to learn more.