Filenews 19 March 2021
The Cyprus Animal Party welcomes as a first and positive step the passage of the bill that provided for the amendment of the Police Act, the establishment of a special staircase by members of the Cyprus Police, which will deal with cases of animal abuse and abuse, which were passed by the plenary of the House of Representatives.
According to a statement, the Party on Animals notes that 18 March 2021 will be recorded as a historic day in terms of animal rights and Cyprus is leading and superior to other European states that do not yet have police for animals.
"The Cyprus Animal Party over time and from the first day of its establishment, has made the establishment of a police force for animals (and NO animal police) a priority and so today we can be positive about the development of this path.
We would expect that those proposals that we have occasionally submitted to the respective government and ministers will be incorporated into the relevant legislation in order to make it even more functional and effective and with the ultimate aim of mutating this scale into a body or creating it in the model of the Hunting Service. Our proposals:
- Members of the police will be trained (perhaps in the RSPCA– UK model) and join the issue of animal rights as a special course at the Police Academy of Cyprus
- Take seriously the extent of the problem in order to determine the number of police officers who will have to make up this force in order to be able to deal with this type of crime,
- Take seriously the logistical infrastructure that will be needed to be able to deal with these incidents (e.g. animal shelters that will have to be removed from their guardians or keepers due to a breach of the law);
- The conditions for cooperation with other competent authorities (e.g. Veterinary Services, Thera Fund, Local Administration Authorities, etc.),
- And a related item to be included in the state's annual budgets.
The creation of an animal police force, in order to be able to function effectively and to address the problems relating to the implementation of complex animal welfare legislation of all species in Cyprus, should not only take the above seriously, but also take seriously the five (5) animal freedoms recognised by the UN and around the world and are the following: :
- Freedom from hunger and thirst (satisfactory and appropriate supply of food and water)
- Freedom from suffering (living in an appropriate environment and access to a suitable rest area)
- Freedom from pain, injury and illness (avoidance of cruel and painful treatment and provision of timely care and treatment)
- Freedom of expression of the nature of the behaviour defined by the species concerned (within the facilities in which man requires animals to live, and which should provide possibilities for isolation and socialization commensurate with the nature needs of the various species)
- Freedom from fear and distress (by ensuring conditions that do not allow exposure to physical and psycho-mental stress - stress)
We've accomplished a lot, and we still have a lot to achieve! The Cyprus Animal Party will always be active alongside citizens on human and animal issues, claiming the best" concludes the communication.
Source: eyenews
