Animal Advocates Ask Prosecutor's Office to Investigate Dog Burials at Veli Cemetery

Animal advocates are circulating a petition and calling on the Prosecutor's Office to start an investigation into footage broadcast by TV Pirveli. A preview of the show "Nodar Meladze's Saturday" appears to show how dogs are buried at the Veli cemetery.

According to the petition, the footage shows dog remains being buried secretly at night in a specially prepared pit on the territory of the Veli cemetery. Animal advocates and enthusiasts also speak of suspicious disappearances of dogs under their care across the country.

The footage includes a comment that one of the remains was still warm. The authors of the petition say this circumstance alone does not prove the cause of death, but it raises serious questions about the legality and humaneness of the circumstances of animal deaths and euthanasia procedures.

They ask the Prosecutor's Office to immediately examine possible signs of crime, including cruel treatment of animals, possible theft, abuse of official authority or official negligence, and possible falsification or concealment of official data.

The petition calls for the investigation to ensure inspection of the pit, removal of all remains, recording of their number and individual registration. It also requests an independent veterinary-pathological examination of the remains to determine the presumed cause and time of death and possible injuries, as well as checks for microchips, collars and other identifying features.

The demands include searching citizens' reports about dogs lost across the country and comparing them with data on the remains found. Documentation confirming euthanasia or death of each animal, veterinary records, acts and reports should also be checked.

The petition's authors demand that the procurement, use and write-off documents for euthanasia drugs be compared with the officially recorded number of euthanasia and death cases. The investigation should establish who issued the order to bury the remains, who transported and buried them, when, and on what legal basis.

The investigation should also check whether the burial site, the construction of the pit, the placement of the remains and the method of disposal comply with legislation, including the Law on Companion Animals. Animal mortality and euthanasia data reflected in official statistics should be verified against primary documents.

The statement reads: "We demand not a formal response, but a thorough, independent and effective investigation, the detection of all possible crimes and the punishment of responsible persons in the manner prescribed by law".