Mayhew vets making a difference in Georgia

Since Mayhew was first registered as an NGO in Georgia 2018, the team has worked tirelessly with national and local government bodies as well as grassroots organisations to improve the lives of both animals and people: -

- A free spay and neuter service for street and community dogs in the capital, including vaccinations against rabies and the most common canine infectious diseases. Our DHPPI +L vaccine covers distemper, parvovirus, canine hepatitis, canine influenza and leptospirosis.

- High quality veterinary training that improves the skills and competencies of Georgian vets, in accordance with international guidelines for small animal medicine.

- Advice and guidance to both national and local government on dog and cat welfare and training to increase the number of skilled individuals in the veterinary profession.

In 2022, Mayhew commenced plans to open the first not-for-profit clinic for preventative veterinary care in Tbilisi. The vet team, headed up by Dr Ana Metskhvarishvili DVM, has been integral in helping to humanely manage the roaming dog populations there and in some of the regional towns and cities. As a result, this has helped to make communities healthier and happier places for the residents and animals alike.

The Trap, Vaccinate, Neuter, Return (TVNR) programme means dogs are not only vaccinated against rabies, but they also receive a complex vaccine that protects them against common canine infectious diseases such as parvo-virus and distemper - still common in Georgia. In addition, the team provides veterinary and shelter management training to other Georgian vets, which has in turn helped improve animal welfare standards for dogs and cats in Tbilisi.

Last year the team neutered more than 2,000 animals and with a permanent clinic in Tbilisi now in place, we are sure those numbers will only increase as they continue to look after the health and welfare of these animals through neutering, today and every day.

For more information about our work in Georgia, please visit https://themayhew.org/international/mayhew-georgia/