THE PRESIDENT of the Cyprus Society for the Protection of Cruelty Against Animals (CSPCA) yesterday lashed out at the state Animal Welfare Authority, saying it was responsible for the killing of 50,000 cats and dogs a year, and was now trying to legalise the practice.
On Wednesday, a joint meeting of the House Interior and Agricultural Committees heard that local authorities in Nicosia had put down nearly 700 dogs and 400 cats in the past four months. The committees were meeting to discuss an Interior Ministry proposal to revise the law for the protection of animals and cut down the number of stray cats and dogs.
The plan, backed by the Animal Welfare Authority, aims to provide a legal framework for the practice of killing stray or dangerous animals, which has been carried out for years by the authorities. But CSPCA president Toulla Poyadji said yesterday the Interior Ministry plan was in contravention of EU regulations adopted by Cyprus in 1993 forbidding the injuring, frightening or causing of pain to animals, and providing that the only ones licensed to put down animals were vets.
“The country should do its best to implement that law, instead of trying to legalise the unspeakable, cruel practice of killing, sometimes shooting, animals in cold blood, many times even without them being stray. I have already written to the President and to the Animal Welfare Authority making it clear to them that I will press charges against them in Courts outside Cyprus and I am prepared to go as far as the International Court of Human Rights,” said Poyadji, who was present at Wednesday’s committee meeting. “I know of a case where two poodles were shot dead by a Limassol Municipality employee.
These people just want to kill animals. If there has been a complaint that a stray cat or a dog is hanging around in a neighbourhood, the authorities have the right to kill it. It’s disgusting and obnoxious. We have received innumerable complains about dogs which have been injured by the authorities and have bled for several days before they died.”
“Is this the job of the Animals Welfare Authority? Running around killings animals?” Poyadji accused the joint committee President, AKEL deputy Christodoulos Veniamin, of covering up for the Welfare Authority. “DIKO deputy Stathis Kittis asked the Authority’s Andreas Clitos about the proposal not being into line with EU regulations and Veniamin said: ‘Do not expect an answer now, we will look into the matter another time.’
Several deputies questioned the plan but Veniamin seemed to take the Authority’s side.” Poyadji said she had information that the House was in favour of the plan so it would probably pass through Parliament.
Officials argue that many owners abandon their pets or their pets’ offspring, increasing the number of stray cats and dogs, and forcing the authorities to put some of them down. The Interior Ministry says it is not prepared to provide special places to keep and take care of stray dogs and cats.
The proposed scheme also aims to toughen regulations on pet treatment by punishing abuse. The CSPCA wants the creation of an archive to prevent owners from abandoning their animals. At the moment, there are about 100, 000 dogs and 80,000 cats on the island. It is expected that a government programme to neuter stray cats and dogs will cost the state £15,000.
