Millions of drams are allocated to sterilizing stray dogs in Armenian communities, but an examination of the work carried out by two organizations has revealed serious violations. According to expert assessments, animals were operated on in Charentsavan and Masis in breach of veterinary standards, including without adequate anesthesia or postoperative pain relief.
Sole proprietor Veronika Hakobyan participated in tenders in 2024 and 2025 in Masis, Alaverdi, Vanadzor, Nor Hachn, Gavar, Berd, Sevan, Martuni, Vardenis and Arzni. In 2025, the business won one tender in Sisian and two in Charentsavan, undertaking to sterilize a total of 350 dogs. The contracts were worth a combined 8 million 88 thousand drams.
The Fairness House NGO examined the implementation of a contract signed with Charentsavan on January 17, 2025. The NGO's president, Tereza Galstyan, raised concerns after reviewing the performance records, which listed the same 10 mg dose for dogs of different weights, while the recorded heart rates, breathing rates and temperatures were repeated across entries.
According to an expert assessment by Vasily Malyukov, head of the Dog and Cat veterinary clinic, the documents from Masis listed identical readings for 53 dogs: a temperature of 38 degrees and a heart rate of 68 beats per minute. The expert considered this a clear indication of document falsification. The Masis municipality had withheld payment to Norogum LLC because its work did not meet the technical specifications, but a court ruled in the company's favor. Following a lawsuit filed by the NGO, another set of proceedings was accepted, and payment has still not been made.
This case shows that accepting performance documents for a municipal program does not necessarily mean the work was actually carried out properly. When records for different animals contain repeated data or medication doses do not correspond to their weight, a document review alone is not enough; professional assessment is also necessary. Otherwise, potential violations may go undetected, while payment disputes can turn into legal battles.
The positions taken by the municipalities in the Charentsavan and Masis cases differ, and the expert assessments and legal proceedings presented so far have not fully resolved the issues. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between recorded suspicions, expert conclusions and court rulings rather than treating them as equivalent. At the same time, the success of a stray dog sterilization program cannot be assessed solely by the amount spent or the number of animals listed in a report. If oversight does not establish that the surgery was performed safely and actually took place, the municipality cannot be certain that it received the service it paid for.
