Filenews 28 April 2021
The incident with the dog Bruno that was abused in Ayia Napa is mentioned by Justice Minister Emily Yoliti in a written statement. A criminal investigation is already underway, he says, adding that he strongly condemns incidents of animal cruelty and violence and expresses the state's determination to deal with such incidents with determination. He's also reporting to the police about the animals.
The entire announcement
I also watched with great concern the videos and images posted yesterday on Social Media with the handling of an incident involving a dog, Bruno, in the Municipality of Ayia Napa.
A criminal investigation is already under way, by the Police, which acted immediately and ex officio, into the way an officer of the Municipality of Ayia Napa handled this incident. The investigation will proceed immediately and it is expected that within the next week the Police will register the case in Famagusta District Court.
The dog was examined both yesterday and today by a government veterinarian, is well and is located in a shelter of the Municipality of Ayia Napa. I am pleased that a large proportion of our fellow citizens have expressed an interest in adopting Bruno and I hope that as many abandoned dogs as possible will be adopted.
On the occasion of yesterday's incident, I called today a meeting with the relevant Ministries, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Interior, the Veterinary Services, the Chief of Police and the Director of the Famagusta Police Directorate with the aim of coordinating more generally all the competent authorities and services, so that we can deal more effectively, in the future, with animal abuse.
I strongly condemn incidents of animal cruelty and violence and express the will of the state to resolutely address such incidents, which do not honour any of us.
In May it is expected to:
- Set up and operate the Animal Police.
- A protocol is signed with all competent authorities and services concerning the handling of complaints and complaints concerning animal welfare issues.
- The necessary steps are being taken to modernise and increase penalties for incidents of animal abuse, abuse and torture, as it has been found that penalties for such offences are very low. For example, one of the suggestions is for the offence of animal abuse the penalty from EUR 86 to be increased to EUR 500.
A hotline is also expected to be set up soon for complaints from citizens concerning only incidents of animal abuse. The aim is to respond immediately and to channel complaints to the relevant department to deal with them.
I hope that we will not witness animal abuse and abuse again in the future. Although a long way to go, I hope that we will finally become human and treat animals, which are defenceless and offer only selfless love, as befits humanity, love and respect.
Source: eyenews
