Paphos People

The following is a precis of an item to be found on our main website, which may be of interest to forum viewers.

We are frequently contacted by people, generally those who have been on holiday here, reporting cases where they consider animals are being kept in unsatisfactory conditions, or have been abused.

Unfortunately CAPCA (PAWS) does not have any authority to intervene in any cases of cruelty, nor do any of the other animal charities.

This is a short explanation of the requirements of the maintenance of the welfare of dogs in Cyprus. The law here is very much the same as that in the UK.

Any animal is entitled by law to food, water and shelter. And that is about it - even in the UK! There are minimum defined areas in which animals can be kept, but they are quite small.

Many dogs can be seen kept in cages. This is, unfortunately, perfectly legal, provided the dog has adequate room to exercise, move, stand, lie down and sit upright and has access to shelter and water and is fed regularly.

Many dogs will be seen chained up. This is also legal as long as the dog has sufficient room to exercise and can reach shelter, food and water. If the chain is too short, then a complaint can be made.

The relevant Authority for the investigation of complaints is the Government Veterinary Service. In Paphos the office is situated near Carrefour in the Polis Road. A personal visit is always better than a phone call.

Unless the dog is starving, dehydrated, severely neglected, or has been abused, they can do very little. Companionship for an animal is not a legal requirement, again not even in the UK.

Normal practice is to give the owner a warning, plus a pro-forma letter stating the recommended treatment of the animal. They can only remove the animal if one of the cases above is found to occur. The pro-forma advice is only a set of recommendations but it can be enforced if the dog has been abused as above.

CAPCA operates the PAWS dog shelter in the Paphos area. We have no presence in the rest of the Island, but will always pass on any complaint to the relevant authority, and any volunteer Association in that area.

The main contact for the submission of any complaint is the Director, Government Veterinary Services. His email address is [email protected]. ALWAYS mark messages high priority, and mark for a read receipt. Follow up your complaint by asking to know what the results are.

In Paphos we do try to investigate reports passed to us, subject to sufficient staff being available, but we are limited in that we have no legal authority to enter premises or to remove an animal. We can only report the condition to the Government Vet, and hope they can take action.

Just thought i put this up as it has a link to report cruelty. Keep this link safe, as you never know when you might need it.

Thank you