A BRITISH holidaymaker who has spent seven years and £30,000 sterling rescuing abused and abandoned dogs from Cyprus is back on the island and preparing to send more strays to the UK.
Betty Clarke from London told the Sunday Mail that she was prompted to start her re-homing scheme after seeing so many starving and abused dogs while holidaying here.
“On my first holiday with my husband we came across some horrible sights of abused animals, I literally took the dogs, put them in a kennel and arranged for them to be sent to the UK where I found them new homes,” she said.
Since that first holiday she totted up 40 successful dog rehomings, arranging veterinary treatment, micro chipping and pet passports, then flying them over to meet new owners in England – all out of her own time and pocket.
“My father left me a few bob, so financially I’m OK. But I must stress it is not the money that bothers me, it is looking at these poor creatures all who need a loving home.”
The large population of stray dogs in Cyprus shows no sign of letting up and animal welfare workers say it is a direct result of the reluctance of some dog owners to take their responsibilities seriously.
Now Betty is digging deeper and spending several thousand euros to send two more dogs to Britain and is eager to be at Heathrow Airport when they arrive after Christmas.
“I love going to the airport to collect them, then we take them to their new homes and I get to visit them and generally make friends with the new owners, we often have a dog-reunion in the park,” she added.
Betty and her husband Ron were in the middle of a relaxing holiday a decade ago when they first rescued Jess, a Border Collie cross who was roaming the streets. “He was in a terrible state,” she recalls, “just skin and bones”.
Then they came across Lily, a terrier cross, after someone had thrown her onto the Larnaca highway.
After that she visited BFAWS (British Friends Animal Welfare Society), an animal rescue centre set up 30 years ago on Dhekelia which is now run as a trust by two British ex-patriots.
“The BFAWS team really help me, they give the dog’s love, shelter and a home when they are waiting to be sent to the UK. I really don’t know what I would have done without Michael and the team,” she said.
Michael Saunders, the principal trustee of BFAWS says, “Betty is an inspiration to us all. She does such a marvellous job and we are thrilled to be able to help in anyway we can”.
During her travels in Cyprus she says that she discovered many other distressing stories, such as Delboy who had been attacked by another dog and had to have his ears amputated after gangrene set in, and Pickles who had been shaved and allowed to get sunburnt, prompting her to try to rescue as many as possible.
“Delboy brought everyone who met him to tears, it was just the most awful case I had seen, and luckily he was rehomed with a loving family in Essex.”
The grandmother of four, who has four grown up children, said her children think she must be “potty” to do this, but she said that following her own ill health and her husband being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, rescuing dogs has been rewarding in difficult times.
“Oh I’m not potty, this is money well spent. It changes lives, literally,” she insists.
Sadly many stay dogs that are roaming the streets of Cyprus are pets that escaped from loving homes, but are never traced because they are not chipped or wearing a collar with a name tag and phone number.
The law states the owner of a stray dog is liable to pay the expenses incurred by the local authority in catching and keeping the dog.
Under the law, the local authority is obliged to keep the dog in the approved pound for 15 days while every effort is made to locate the owner. If the owner cannot be found it is then surrendered to the District Veterinary Services to be euthanised if it cannot be re-homed or no animal welfare organisation accepts it.
However for 40 lucky dogs, Betty Clarke came to the rescue and has vowed to return again next year.
“Betty is a wonderful lady and still keeps in touch with all the people who have adopted dogs. People like her are very special and dedicated and Cyprus needs them,” added Saunders.
New requirements make it easier to find lost dogs
It is now mandatory to register your dog and to obtain a dog licence, failure to do so incurs a heavy fine. As of this year there have also been changes to the registration procedures for dogs.
1. The owner must microchip the dog using a private vet who will also issue a health book, make an entry on the Central Dog Register, and provide a registration certificate.
In the case of dogs who already have a microchip, a veterinary surgeon or the District Veterinary Service can make the entry on the Central Register.
2. The owner must then take the registration certificate and health book to the Local Council or municipality and obtain a dog licence the fee for which varies depending on the gender and type of dog.
The system will now permit private vets, police, animal welfare societies, and local authorities direct access to the Central Dog Register to assist in identifying ownership of lost or stray dogs.
