THE president of the Cyprus Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA), Toula Poyadji, yesterday remained adamant the National Guard had given instructions to have stray dogs rounded up from army camps and removed.
“They’re denying any instructions were given, but I have information from mothers of soldiers and soldiers themselves, who have seen the strays being rounded up. In fact I was told two carloads full of dogs were seen leaving army camps,” she told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry denied any such order had been given and said it had informed Poyiadji her claims were unfounded. Nevertheless, the animal lover remained unconvinced.
“The National Guard actually told soldiers and their mothers that the dogs had been taken to a dog hotel in Klirou and not to worry. But I really doubt the government would pay ?5 a day to house stray dogs at a hotel, don’t you? Then, they said the dogs had been taken to the animal shelter. They’re mocking us,” she said.
Poyiadji claimed it was “all lies” and that the dogs had probably been taken to some remote area and shot.
She said: “They never expected us to make such a big deal out of it or to publicly demand to know what had happened to the dogs. Now they’re trying to cover it up by saying it never happened.”
The National Guard has recently come under fire over a string of animal abuse reports. Just over three weeks ago, three soldiers were confined to a remote army camp after they were found to have torched a stray dog and watched it die. The entire thing was taped on a mobile phone.
A similar incident fate befell a stray cat only weeks later, but the army has said it found no evidence to support the claims. Defence Ministry spokesman Yiannis Patsalides went so far as to imply Poyadji’s claims had more to do with her standing for parliamentary election and a desire to promote her name than anything else.
To this, Poyadji replied: “I have been campaigning to promote and protect animal welfare since 1987 and have always spoken out against animal cruelty. Yes, I am running for parliamentary election (with the Green party), but this has nothing to do with that. Does it mean because I’m standing for election that I have to keep my mouth shut? Other people standing have also been outraged about what’s happened to the animals. Does that mean they should also say nothing?”
Regarding the stray cat, Poyadji said she had corroborating witnesses supporting the allegation.
“I was told in confidence about what had happened. I have cross checked the facts and they are true; they can deny it all they like,” she said.
