THE Veterinary Services yesterday hit back at former EU ambassador Adriaan Van der Meer’s allegations that no one was available at the Larnaca Airport border post to help save his dog.
Van der Meer, who left Cyprus last week after a three-year term, said on Saturday his nine-and-a-half-year-old pedigree Golden Retriever was left on the tarmac in blazing sun by Cyprus Airways staff for 50 minutes before his flight to Belgium was due to depart.
The dog suffered heatstroke and died at a Nicosia veterinary clinic five days later.
In an official letter to Cyprus Airways, the former ambassador said that valuable time had been lost due to the absence of a vet. Under EU regulations, a vet must be at the airport to check incoming animals and animal products from third countries.
Van der Meer claimed no one was around that could have helped save his dog.
However, senior Veterinary Department official Dr Charalambos Kakoyiannis told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that whatever Van der Meer had been told about the absence of a vet at the airport was incorrect.
“No direct allegations were sent to the veterinary services by the ambassador. I understand the letter was directed to the chairman of Cyprus Airways and came to us in a roundabout way,” said Kakoyiannis. “He said he was disappointed that he couldn’t find any immediate assistance at the airport and lost precious time before the dog received treatment. He said a government vet should be available at Larnaca airport as part of an EU inspection, but could not be found. On this allegation, I may say it does not represent the facts.”
Kakoyiannis said he could understand how Van der Meer might feel about the loss of his pet, especially after spending three years in Cyprus. “But the facts have to be stated exactly as they happened. Maybe the ambassador understood the matter differently,” he added.
Kakoyiannis said that border inspection posts existed for the importation of live animals and foods of animal origins from third countries, not EU countries, and not animals or products leaving Cyprus for other member states.
In this case, he said, the responsibility lay with the owner of the pet and the airline. “No one else is responsible to examine these animals at the airport before they leave,” he said.
Kakoyiannis said the veterinary office at the airport border post was open from 7.30am to 2pm every day but vets were on call outside of these hours. He said in Van der Meer’s case it was not possible for no one to have been there, as the former ambassador’s flight was due to depart before midday.
“He said there was no help available at the airport. But if anyone had asked for this it would have been offered on humanitarian grounds, and not just to Ambassador Van der Meer,” said Kakoyiannis.
The veterinary official said that at around the time that Van der Meer’s flight was leaving, the border post vet was visited by a member of staff from Cyprus Airways.
“He found the vet and explained, and the vet went and saw the dog almost unconscious and gave it first aid, including water and ice. The ambassador’s wife was there and she was distressed,” he said.
“After that, our vet discussed with her the necessity to take the dog to a clinic and it was taken into the air-conditioned car and the district veterinary officer was called, even thought it is not his job to carry out clinical work. Our district veterinary officer did what was necessary to be done and treated the animal. Mrs Van der Meer expressed her thanks and left for Nicosia where she put the dog in a clinic. The dog’s situation was difficult and it died after five days.”
Kakoyiannis said he believed Van der Meer did not have all the facts.
“We don’t know about any person he asked about or tried to find and we don’t accept the allegation that there was no vet available at the airport. No one asked for help between the time the dog arrived at the airport and the time when the plane left. If someone had come sooner, they would still have found the vet there in his office,” Kakoyiannis said.
“We would like to express our sincere sympathy for the loss of his dog. We are vets and have a responsibility related to the welfare of animals and in no way would be do otherwise and not give any assistance to anyone who has a problem. I don’t know if Mr Van der Meer was told by anyone else that a vet could not be found.”
Cyprus Airways has said it is investigating the incident.
