House passes animal welfare law, beefs up protections and fines  

Parliament on Thursday passed a bill amending the Animal Welfare Law, in particular beefing up protection for domesticated animals and introducing stiffer fines for abuse.

If found guilty of animal abuse by a court, a person will be liable to a fine of €10,000 – up from €1,700 currently – for the first offence.

Repeat offences will be fined €20,000, instead of €3,400 as was the case until now.

The bill was drafted by the agriculture ministry as part of government policies to reinforce animal welfare.

After the law passed, the Animal Party released a statement welcoming the changes, but complained that a mooted clause for a total ban on keeping animals in cages did not make it into the bill.

Under the changes, authorities can now take away an animal from their owners in case of abuse and entrust its care to a “suitable person,” without lengthy court proceedings.

From now on it is forbidden to tie up a dog or a cat; dogs and cats may be tied briefly only, for example while taking them for a walk or when in a public place.

The amended law also prohibits owners from keeping dogs and cats on rooftops, balconies or verandas, since these practices result in the pet being left isolated and exposed to the elements.

The ministry of agriculture will be preparing a set of regulations specifying the minimum requirements for dog kennels.

Likewise banned is the holding in captivity of marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and seals.

The amendment for abandoned animals to not be deprived of food and water was also passed.

In general, animal protection is strengthened through the cooperation of state services, private vets and animal welfare organisations that will participate in the animal welfare coordinating committee and district committees.

“These committees will support and advise the ministry in promoting new policies and programs for animal welfare” the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.