Deputies cave in to hunting lobby

A HOTLY-debated canine law is set to be amended after parliament bowed to pressure from hunters.

House Agriculture Committee chairman Christos Mavrokordatos said the recently applied law would be amended to make it more functional.

Speaking after a closed-doors session, Mavrokordatos said the amendment, expected to be approved after Easter, would take into consideration the suggestions tabled by various sides.

The amendment annuls the requirement for a death certificate issued by a vet and replaces it with a declaration from the owner.

Hunters would be able to acquire one permit for all their dogs and not one for each animal as stipulated in the current law.

Mavrokordatos said certain fees would be cut while others increased.

And the registration age for a puppy goes up from three to six months, the deputy said.
He added that if the registration age stayed the same, there was a risk of owners dumping their puppies due to high costs.

Green deputy George Perdikis said the amendment threatened to defeat the purpose of the bill and lead to an increase in the number of stray dogs.

Perdikis said he was saddened that the government agreed with the hunters’ demands, adding that four to five windows were being opened for dogs to be abandoned.
He said the worst amendment was the one regarding the increase in the registration age.

The amendment covers most if not all, the demands raised by hunters.

Since its enforcement, hunters had complained about licensing, high registration fees, compulsory death certificates and registration age.

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