DOZENS of cats and a dog have been wiped out after consuming lanate-laced meat placed at a children’s park in Yermasoyia, raising fears that it’s only a matter of time before children are also poisoned.
“It is a miracle we have not had human victims, but I fear it is a matter of time,” said Angelos Demetriou, a resident who has lost many pets to lanate.
Animals in the area have been systematically killed over the last three years with lanate placed at a park at Kykladon street, Potamos Yermasoyias. Children playing at the park are also exposed to the poison and have witnessed numerous horrific deaths.
“Other than the fact that we have lost members of our family to such a hideous, slow and painful death, the poisoned meat pieces have been found inside and next to the park where kids play every day. Over the last three years, cats go into the park, shaking, vomiting poison, leaking blood and other fluid from every hole in their body, and dying at the feet, or sometimes even hands of the children playing in the park,” Demetriou said.
In the latest incident, a total of 12 cats and one dog were killed. Three of the cats belonged to Demetriou, who had kept them in the house out of fear that they too would fall victim to illegal poisoning, like several of his pets in the past. The cats would only go out the house once or twice a day and no further than 40m away. This short distance was enough to get them killed.
Demetriou has been trying to urge authorities to enforce the law, and take action against the poisonings, but with no success. “Over for the last three years, we have been contacting police, municipality, government authorities, but there is no response or interest from any party. This year I visited the police station three to four times in two days, when the cats were dropping dead like flies. Again no response.”
Individual departments are reluctant to accept responsibility for such incidents. “Police told me they had talked to the Sanitation Department, which – they said – is the relevant authority. I then talked to Sanitation Department officers who said the police had never contacted them about the issue, and said that the police is actually the relevant authority,” Demetriou said.
Network Cyprus is one group working towards coordinating an anti-poisoning campaign. They highlight the need for organised action.
“Stories like this are all too familiar. The deliberate laying down of poison for cats and dogs to eat is a cruel and vicious practice. Thankfully, there are many caring individuals in Cyprus that want this inhumane act stopped,” said Fran Aristofanous, Campaign Coordinator at Network Cyprus.
“At Network Cyprus we are coordinating the efforts of animal charities and individuals on the island, working towards banning this practice in line with the EU Directive.”
A draft bill for banning products that contain methomyl, commonly known as lanate, was submitted to Parliament in 2004 by Green Party MP George Perdikis, but after stalling for years, the bill was voted out. Despite the failure to pass this ‘Protection of Domestic Animals Law’, the state has an obligation to ban lanate under an European Commission decision (no 670/2007), which called for the recall of phytoprotection products that contain methomyl by 19 March 2008.
Cyprus, however, has asked for a one year extension before it bans lanate. The Greens are presently contesting this move, pointing out the high risks involved. “Today lanate, as well as all the chemical concoctions used in agriculture are sold to anybody that asks for them, resulting in their use to poison animals but also people (we have had suicide cases in Cyprus), or for any other malign or ill use other than its specifications. The legal banning of lanate and the legal regulation of the distribution of these products should have been dealt with a long time ago,” the Greens said.
The Greens have started a petition for an immediate stop to the sale and use of lanate. Animal welfare groups are presently considering the option of organising a demonstration urging the government to enforce relevant EU legislation.
You can add your voice to Network Cyprus’ campaign, by e-mailing [email protected], or log on to their website at www.networkcyprus.com,”