The situation in Cyprus as regards abandoned dogs has greatly worsened, officials at the Municipality of Nicosia and the pound where several local authorities of the Nicosia district take the strays they collect, told CNA, noting that another factor for the overpopulation in the shelters, in addition to the constant abandonments, was the fact that adoptions from abroad have decreased as efforts have now shifted to rescuing strays from Ukraine.

The President of the Cyprus Veterinary Association, Nektaria Arsenoglou, told CNA that it was important that all dog owners observe the law and have their dogs microchipped but also have a dog licence.

Michalis Papadakis, responsible for stray dogs at the Municipality of Nicosia for the last 20 years, asked by CNA about the current situation regarding the abandonment of dogs, said that the situation 'has worsened a lot' after the coronavirus restrictions when everyone was getting a dog so that they would be allowed to go out, he said.

He noted that the situation began to deteriorate after that.

The unified pound where the Municipalities of Nicosia, Aglandjia, Strovolos, Lakatamia, Engomi and Agios Dometios take the stray dogs they collect has a capacity of 70 dogs but now it has more than 100, he said, adding that they were in the process of expanding it.

'But building shelters is not a solution', Papadakis said, noting that many dogs stay in shelters for one to two years, and wondered whether this was a proper life for a dog.

Asked why there was planning for only 70 dogs, Papadakis said that when the shelter was built, about seven years ago, that was sufficient, but that since then, the situation had 'rapidly deteriorated'.

Papadakis also said that adoptions abroad have greatly decreased, noting that most adoptions used to take place in the UK but that after Brexit, it was not that easy.

Also, the war in Ukraine has had a big impact, he added, since people from other countries such as the UK and the Netherlands were now taking in strays from Ukraine.

He said there was need for stricter legislation on animal abandonment, but also out-of-court fines for violations of the law. He also noted that 'the root of the problem' was births, and that it was important to convince owners to neuter/spay their animals.

Arsenoglou told CNA that it was important for all dog owners to observe the law and have their dog microchipped, but also to have a dog licence, noting that, in this way, it would be much more difficult for people to abandon their dogs, since if an animal with a microchip was abandoned, its guardian could be automatically located.

She also suggested checks and said that people need to know that it was illegal not to have their dog microchipped.

Alexandros Oriettas, caretaker at the unified pound, managed by "Simba Animal Aid Cyprus" told CNA that this was 'the worst year in a decade', as regards abandonments.

He said that this happens not only in the summer when people go on holidays but year-round, noting that they have dogs at the pound that had been taken in by people during the pandemic restrictions so that they could go out but after that they didn't want them, dogs that were adopted as puppies but after the owners realised the responsibility they didn't want them, but also the puppies of dogs that gave birth on the streets.

There are also cases, he added, whereby people, due to the financial situation, decided that they can no longer afford their dogs.

He said that larger-sized dogs can stay a year or two at the pound, while small dogs are much easier to adopt.

Oriettas said that births must be reduced, at least until the large number of strays is under control, while he urged people to adopt instead of buying a dog.

Source: Cyprus News Agency