Our stray animal care project, ‘Dog’s ambulance Ar Idardo’, includes a shelter for free-roaming animals, as well as a mobile ambulance service for street cats and dogs in various regions of Georgia.

We pick up stray animals and nurse them back to health; we neuter them, and we care for them, and try to find a suitable home for the adopted pet, if possible.

We provide behaviour correction training for the animals, if necessary, in order to increase their chance of adoption. We help speed up the adoption process by taking care of all paperwork. We also manage the process of transporting animals, which are leaving our shelter, across international borders. And finally, we support the kind people who are taking care of street pets with medical and food supplies.

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The first donations to our project were given by tourists from different countries. The founders of Dogs Ambulance are also the owners of a tourist agency, which has been providing guided tours around Georgia since 2014. Many international tourists have become our friends. During their trips to Georgia, travellers saw the massive problem with local stray dogs.

Initially, the project was supposed to follow the SNR protocol (Shelter-Neuter-Release), but we quickly realised that it would be impossible to implement in real life. After the animals spent two or three weeks at our facilities during treatments, vaccinations and neutering, they had already begun to familiarise themselves with the new community and staff. It was unfair to release them back to the street after they had been cared for so well. There are also a lot of disabled animals, and releasing them is out of the question.

It became clear that we needed a more permanent solution. Therefore, the problem of organizing an animal shelter arose.

In the summer of 2018, we bought a 600m2 plot of land with money from the donations and also from our personal funds. There was an unfinished house in a remote settlement area in the village of Zemo Tskuleti.

So far, the house has been rebuilt and fully equipped with electricity, water supply and sewage systems. The estate has been arranged in order to house the animals. The dog kennel has been installed as well as the cat area. On the ground floor there are winter crates for the animals, the quarantine zone, as well as the rooms for volunteers’ accommodation.

THE FIRST MONTHS
In that period the number of dogs was no more than ten. But that did not stop them from digging tunnels and wandering about the nearest hills. At this stage, the fence had been reinforced, the first crates had been installed and the territory had been impounded.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING A WOODEN FLOORING FOR A MULTIPLE DOG KENNEL
Polyethylene waterproofing film was laid under the plank in order to prevent the destruction of wood caused by plants.

TAKING A MIDDAY BREAK WHILE BUILDING A WARM DOG HOUSE WITH NEW KENNELS
Our dogs are ‘monitoring’ the process of construction from start to finish. All winter crates are insulated with a thick layer of rigid foam.

A KENNEL FOR SMALL DOGS
In order to save space, we installed multi-level enclosures in the area for small dogs and puppies. Dogs climb up the stairs to reach the upper levels.

SPRING 2021
The 600m² area has been separated into a complex system of enclosures. Insulated housing is provided for all of the animals. The ground floor is designated as a quarantine facility. Some cats and dogs inhabit the living area. During that period we were unable to shelter any new animals.

When there were over 130 dogs and 20 cats under our care, we realised that a 600m² area was too small for so many animals. Therefore, the question arose of buying a bigger estate in order to expand the shelter.

Why did we not buy a larger lot at the very beginning? First of all, we did not have the budget. Secondly, we did not expect the number of animals in our shelter to grow as much as it has. Now people regularly ask us to adopt a dog, a cat, even a kindle of kittens or a litter of puppies.

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In August 2020, we bought a 2 ha plot of land in Martvili Municipality by combined efforts.

We started with constructing a road through impassable bushes of blackberry and tea. Then we focused on maintaining the enclosures on claggy red clay slopes and building a temporary shed for building supplies, tools and workers. Those men were working under the heavy rains of Martvili. At that time living at the site was out of the question. It was necessary to equip the area with electricity equipment, water supply, sewage systems and some basic facilities beforehand.

THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A ROAD TO THE NEW ESTATE
This is how the new road goes up the hill through the blackberry bushes. The new shelter for our animals is getting built right at the bottom of the hill.

INSTALLING THE SIDEWALK BETWEEN THE FUTURE KENNELS
The total area of those estimated enclosures is 440 m², which is for 20 crates 16-20 m² each.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING STATIONARY ENCLOSURES AT THE NEW SHELTER
After facing the problem of tunnels being dug in the yard as well as systematic animal escapes, we took a more solid approach to building a dog pound.

THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A WOODEN HOUSE
For economic reasons, we decided to buy two wooden houses nearby. They were dismantled and transported to a new venue. Now they are going to be maintained on our territory.

We did it by combined efforts! By the end of summer 2021 the final group of our dogs had moved from our old house in Zemo Tskuleti to the new dog shelter.

So far we have already maintained several folds. That is over 50 facilities in total, and every enclosure is equipped with a dog crate, one for each dog. The area is covered with a roof, too. The upper level of the territory around the house has been separated into a complex system of enclosures. We have also organised an insulated quarantine ward with isolated blocks for new dogs and puppies. On the territory of our shelter we have decent conditions for permanent accommodation. There is also a comfortable watchman shed.

OUR INFRASTRUCTURE ( BY JANUARY 17)
Under the long green roof there is so called Enclosure B. It consists of 30 separate facilities in addition to several lanes between them. This zone is for over a hundred dogs.

THE UPPER LEVEL
Due to the lack of space, the yard is also divided into many zones. The quarantine ward is situated here. (It is not in the picture because it was built a couple of weeks later).

ONE OF THE STAGES OF QUARANTINE WARD CONSTRUCTION
Our dogs are closely ‘monitoring’ the quality of building process on the site from start to finish.

ONE OF THE KENNELS AT ENCLOSURE D
There are 17 dogs living there in the winter of 2022.

AS A COMPARISON
This is exactly the same Enclosure D, but a year ago (spring 2021).

Since we started the building process, it has been continuously growing. So has the number of the animals living in our shelter.

At this time we are again unable to shelter new animals due to the huge lack of space and resources. But many of our dogs are finishing their rehabilitation in Tbilisi, so we have to take them back to our shelter very soon.

We are in dire need of a new complex of enclosures. So there is still a lot of work to do until all our animals will be able to settle down in their new spacious home.

In the future, we are planning to organize a veterinary office as well as the accommodation for our permanent workers and volunteers.

Thanks to everyone who is helping us and believes in us.