On Mayhew International’s last visit to Georgia in May this year, the team rescued two dogs who had both suffered in road traffic accidents and had been surviving with trauma injuries for several weeks.

With a ripped off paw and fractured leg, sweet natured Niko was picked up by the Tbilisi Municipal dog catchers with horrific injuries. This gentle dog was living on the streets of Tbilisi with the trauma of an oozing, open leg wound and with the fractured bone of her useless left hind leg visibly hanging off, covered in flies.

Miro recovering after his operation.

Under the supervision of Head Vet, Dr. Ursula Goetz, Mayhew International’s vet team was carrying out training with the Municipal shelter’s vet team when Niko was brought into the shelter. Dr. Ursula ensured that poor Niko was immediately given pain relief and settled as comfortably as possible so she wasn’t feeling stressed by her surroundings. It was evident that there was significant nerve damage to the leg and it was important to check whether the nerve damage was also in her spine, and if she could go to the toilet normally. Brave Niko showed she was a fighter and the team were really pleased when it seemed there was no damage to internal organs or her spine, though to add to her woes she was found also to have mange.

The decision was made to amputate her leg and Dr. Ursula carried out the surgery while also demonstrating the amputation techniques to the Municipal shelter vet team.

Head Vet Dr. Ursula with Miro

Following such major surgery, Niko needed intensive after-care, which Georgian vet Dr. Dato, a recipient of Mayhew’s training, offered to undertake. Thankfully Niko’s recovery is progressing well. She is coping easily on three legs, still able to do all the normal things dogs do while on foster in Tbilisi, awaiting her forever home.

Miro enjoying life in his foster home with Husky Lasha.

Sadly, dogs with trauma injuries are not uncommon in Georgia. Little Miro was still a young pup when an accident damaged his right hind leg.

Poor Niko was suffering in pain.

The Mayhew International team found Miro at Gori Municipal Shelter, about 50 miles west of Tbilisi. The shelter suffers from a lack of investment and infrastructure and faces a daily challenge to feed and care for the dogs on-site. The shelter is a derelict building with intermittent provision of utilities, and unneutered dogs run free amongst the rubble, struggling to survive with limited resources for even the basics of food and medical treatment. But little Miro was obviously a feisty little fellow, and even with his dragging, damaged leg and covered in fleas, mange and ringworm, he caught the attention of the Mayhew team and touched all our hearts. Taken back to Tbilisi, Dr. Ursula amputated his hind leg with the Tbilisi Municipal Shelter team and ensured his on-going aftercare with Dr. Dato and his socialisation in a foster home with Georgian Mayhew volunteer, Mariam.

Head Vet Dr. Ursula with Niko.

Little Miro is now neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and treated for all his skin conditions and will soon be on the way to his new home.

Mayhew International works to find sustainable solutions to the free-roaming dog and cat populations in the countries where we work. In Georgia, we are working closely with the authorities in Tbilisi to improve their dog population management programmes, which include a Trap Neuter Vaccinate Release (TVNR) programme and capacity building through vet training to ensure a growing number of Georgian vets are competent in spay and neuter surgery and disease control.

Dr. Ursula demonstrating the amputation surgery.

We also fund another TVNR project with Dog Organisation Georgia, a local charity working in Tbilisi. Veterinary training is provided for municipality vets and via workshops and seminars at the Free Agrarian University in Tbilisi. There have been significant improvements in Tbilisi and our aim is to gradually roll out the programmes to other Georgian municipalities and local groups.

Mayhew International does not receive any government funding, relying instead on the donations made by its generous supporters. With your help we can achieve real change through support, vet training and raising awareness of the root causes of the stray and street populations, paving the way for them who, in turn, can rescue more animals in pain like Niko and Miro.

We need your support to help animals like Niko and Miro living on the streets

Your £100 could help train local vets in the field or on our International Vet Training programme
Your £50 could help fund drugs and surgical supplies for our neutering initiatives overseas
Your £30 could help provide equipment for the humane handling and restraint of stray and street dogs
Your £10 could help us stop the spread of disease through vaccination and parasite control

Thank you for your generous support.

Caroline Yates, CEO