Residents Of Gomel Are Demanding An Explanation Regarding The Fate Of The Captured Dogs And Cats
- 8.06.2026, 17:47
People accused the propagandists of manipulating the public regarding the controversial animal roundup.
The Gomel City Executive Committee’s TV channel has joined the media battle surrounding the issue of the “harsh roundup” of stray animals in Gomel. Unlike *Gomelskaya Pravda*, the city’s state-run TV station has decided to take a positive approach. But it didn’t work out without propaganda and manipulation, as reported by "Flagstok"
The TV channel released an interview with the director of the municipal enterprise "Spetskommuntrans," which is responsible for the capture and care of stray animals. A pro-government blogger Misha Kartoshkin was chosen as the interviewer, who immediately declared:
“You are about to hear the real truth!”
But nothing new was said in the report, and Kartoshkin did not ask the main questions that animal rights activists had brought to their meeting with the city executive committee, — regarding both the methods of capture and the likely killings of animals occurring even on the way to the capture site—were not asked by Kartoshkin. Volunteers claim that this is happening, although they have not yet provided any evidence.
Kartoshkin tried to shift the focus to the positive, as did “Spetskommuntrans” itself, by creating an official Threads account titled “Your Faithful Friend” with a cute description: “We help find homes for our furry friends.”
“Mikhail, you say that all the conditions have been created… But by whom? By volunteers and caring people. Spetskommuntrans only provides the space; everything else is not their responsibility! And what happens next if no one claims them? What happens to the animals?”
“Why isn’t it specified that this is a temporary holding facility? How are these dogs then euthanized? Where do the captured cats end up? People shouldn’t be under the illusion that this is a place where you can come to turn in your pet—it’s a euthanasia facility. The only shelter where they don’t euthanize animals is currently in Vitebsk; they’re doing a great job there. On the contrary, you should inform citizens not to let their pets roam freely so they don’t end up with you, and at the same time tell them what awaits these animals afterward!”
“Yet another ‘propaganda piece’ in an attempt to ‘whitewash’ what’s happening in Gomel. Maybe you’ll tell us about the ‘punitive’ operation where corpses with darts in their bodies are lying right on the streets.”
Users also noted that the report did not show any animal enclosures, which could have been set up specifically for the filming.