Animal welfare efforts must be appreciated

Sir,
As a Paphos property owner and friquent visitor to Cyprus from the UK for some years now, I was both shocked and saddened to read your report of September 14 regarding the Paphiakos and Cyprus Animal Welfare Centre. The problem of unwanted and neglected animals which existed some years ago in Cyprus and the improvement in the situation due to the dedicated and unselfish work of the Centre is apparent to all. However, the problem is far from over. As a life supporter of the Centre, I have been a witness on many occasions to Ms Christina Panayiotou’s dedication and care of animals.

The Centre ably refuted with facts and figures the allegations so blatantly made against it in its reply on September 16 published by the Cyprus Mail and welcomes any police investigation which can only vindicate its good name.

I decided to frequent Paphos because of its wonderful people and their kindness and honesty. However, I find this treatment of Ms Panayioutou and her hard work is most uncypriot. Throughout the years of getting to know and love the Cypriot people and their many virtues there is really only one negative remark I can find to pass — the appalling cruelty to animals which is found here. Pets need to be sterilised to keep numbers down and animals need to be respected. A civilised and educated people cares for its animals, it recognises that they are a gift to us and one to be respected.
Cyprus is now a member of the EU. There are rules regarding animal welfare. Why cannot the person who had the wisdom, courage and generosity to be the forerunner of such rules for Cyprus be supported by the good people of Cyprus? Ms Panayioutou should be recognised with pride and thanked as the person who took on the lowly task of dealing with sick and maimed animals. She has taken on a service to the community which is taken on in other countries by the civic authorities.

It is very easy for those who deal with healthy and cute animals and who charge for their services to criticise those who have to do so from the sweat of their brow and who are forced to scrape their resources from donations. Who else but a dedicated person would offer a service to animals 365 days of the year? Profit is not the goal but a service to suffering animals. While I am on the subject of profit – the Centre offers a free sterilisation service to stray animals. I wonder who would profit if the services of the Centre were to be discontinued?
Yola Boylan, Paphos

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.