Nishan Papazian
Holden, MA, USA

For the past two months, I have had the chance to live and volunteer in Gyumri.  Living in Gyumri has been very different than Yerevan, and I have experienced both highs and lows during my time there.  One of the highlights of my stay in Gyumri has been volunteering with Dogs of Gyumri.  Dogs of Gyumri is a dog rescue non-profit that works to promote animal welfare and reduce the number of stray dogs on the streets of Gyumri.  D.O.G. is under a year old, but they have already had over 35 successful adoptions.   

I have really enjoyed my time working with this organization because I got the opportunity to work on a very real issue in Gyumri.  When walking the streets of Gyumri, it immediately becomes evident that there is a real problem with stray dogs and cats.  One of the goals of D.O.G. is to spay and neuter the dogs to solve this problem eventually. 

Working with this non-profit has given me experience in dog handling as well as marketing tactics.  My days of physical work consisted of taking dogs to the vet, walking them, and distributing food to fosters.  My office work consisted of social media and marketing to bring more attention to D.O.G.  One of the primary efforts is to get dogs seen online and eventually adopted.  D.O.G. very recently launched their new website which will further the goal of getting dogs adopted. 

I really believe in the mission of Dogs of Gyumri, and I’m so glad I had the chance to work with their team.  To learn more about this organization visit their website at dogsofgyumri.org, or look them up on Facebook and Instagram.  D.O.G. is making great strides in rescuing strays and giving them a better life.  If you are interested in supporting this great cause you can purchase merchandise from their website, or donate.  Thanks, D.O.G. for making my time in Gyumri so special!