Filenews 19 August 2022
Mass abandonment of dogs is observed this year with shelters overcrowded with abandoned pets and volunteers reaching their limits.
The phenomenon of abandonment is not new, but this year it is "something else" and the volunteers are sending a strong message about the need to implement the legislation on animal welfare and to educate the public about the obligations of pet owners.
A number of factors contribute to the creation of the problem, as Monika Mitsidou, a volunteer at the D.O.G RESCUE CYPRUS shelter and Evita Charalambous, a PAWS volunteer, say in their statements to the CNA.
Something else this year, says Ms Mitsidou
Always during the holidays, and especially during the summer holidays, there is a big increase in dog abandonments, as well as during hunting seasons, "but this year is something else", says Monika Mitsidou, a volunteer at the D.O.G RESCUE CYPRUS shelter, answering a question.
"All the shelters are overcrowded and all the volunteers are on their limits. There is no precedent for what happens this year", said Ms. Mitsidou. One reason, she said, in her opinion, is that many took dogs, "which they shouldn't have done", during the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now that they will go on vacation, instead of paying a hotel for their pets or finding a solution that will be favourable to the animal as well, "they leave them alone in the yard and someone goes to feed them, or they just leave them."
Ms. Mitsidou said that there are solutions, such as dog hotels, and people guarding pets (pet sitters).
When someone takes a dog, he must keep in mind in advance what he will do when he is away on vacation, stressed Ms. Mitsidou, adding that when they give a dog from the shelter, one of the questions they ask to those who want to adopt, is what they will do to the dog when they go on vacation.
Ms. Mitsidou said that at the moment all dog shelters are overcrowded, as adoptions from abroad and especially from England have decreased a lot because, as she said, most dogs are given for adoption in England. "Because the same thing happened there, during the pandemic millions of dogs were adopted, which are now returning to shelters, people can find a dog in the shelters there, because to bring from Cyprus, costs a lot," said Ms. Mitsidou, explaining that the dog's travel expenses are in the adoption package that the one who wants to adopt has to pay.
There are many factors for abandonments, says Evita Charalambous
There are many factors that contribute to the problem of dog abandonment, says Evita Charalambous, a PAWS volunteer.
"People who leave on vacation, they leave their animals, young people who are looking for an apartment, they can't find an apartment where they can take their dog, so people are abandoning animals, and there are those who are letting their dog give birth uncontrollably," she said.
"It is not possible in a country, which has so many thousands of stray animals, not to have legislation that says that in apartments it is mandatory - as it is in Greece - for renter to be entitled to have his animal. The animal is a member of the family," said Ms. Charalambous. "If the other person is desperate, he will go to an animal welfare and tell her 'I can't'. For the last three or four months, this is what we have been seeing, 'I'm going to move and I can't take it with me,'" she added.
Mrs. Charalambous also mentioned that adoptions abroad have decreased so much that the huge problem that exists in Cyprus was shown.
"These adoptions, due to the economic situation, Brexit, etc., fell a lot. So now these strays, and special dogs that in Cyprus are not desirable, stay in the shelters. We were basically sweeping the problem under the carpet, it wasn't a solution to send it abroad," he said.
When asked whether the increase in feed prices affected the situation, he said that although prices went up, "he who loves his animal will not abandon it because of that". It happens, he said, but to leave one's animal because the food was increased by €2, for example, "is an excuse". "The most intense thing is that they are forced to leave their larger homes, sell their homes and abandon their animals," he added.
He also said that they asked "a few times" for a distinction to be made in the licences of possession of neutered and inexhaustible dogs.
"The legislation is there and it is quite good, but it is not being implemented," he added. "We are making allegations about illegal births that are advertised on social media and they tell us 'we can't do anything, bring us evidence', but how will I bring you the evidence?" said Ms. Charalambous.
According to Ms. Charalambous, Nicosia was filled, again with herds of dogs "because the shelters have no place anymore, because we do not have adoptions from abroad".
"We did an exercise 10 years ago, we neutered the packs of Nicosia and those dogs that were not adoptable. We reduced the packs of Nicosia and suddenly we find ourselves with packs of dogs everywhere," she added.
Animal welfare and volunteering
Ms. Mitsidou said that the welfare of animals in Cyprus is a very disheartening issue" and stressed the importance of neutering, stating that dogs give birth uncontrollably, "they give them to whoever will take them, few will live happily, most of them will live battered, in a yard, in a cage, somewhere alone, in the field". She also said that the imports of dogs are uncontrolled, as is illegal breeding, which, as she said, "is a serious income for too many", while many dogs, find themselves roaming with unwritten chips, and the owner cannot be found. She also said that births should be recorded. "There are laws but nothing is being observed," she said.
She said they get a lot of phone calls from people who want to give their dog up, either because they took it for their children and now they grew up, or because they took it because of the pandemic, "or because they will supposedly go abroad", or because it was fashionable for some breed and many have dogs that they cannot control. In the past, she said, huskies were fashionable, now it's Malinois, "which are dogs that only the police can train." According to Ms. Mitsidou, the Malinois shelters were filled with thoroughbred and half-blooded dogs "which we do not know what we are going to do, because they are not pets, but working dogs". She even said that the majority of dogs in shelters are large, and most looking for a pet want small dogs. Training, she said, is very important and for people to choose the right dog according to their lifestyle.
The volunteers, she said, also collect all the dogs from temporary storage areas of municipalities and communities, "but how much will we catch up with?" she asked. She also said that people who find dogs abandoned require shelters to immediately go and get them, ignoring the fact that whatever they do, they do voluntarily, "after their work and before their family".
"You get trapped," she said, adding that if a volunteer stops, "what about these animals, who will take them on? It's like moving sand, the more you try to get out on top, the more it pulls you underneath. Unfortunately, this is how volunteering with animals is. We focus on small victories that are each adoption because we don't win the war with anything," she said.
Volunteers are trying to educate people, she added, "to explain about sterilizations, but there has to be political will." There are legislations that can curb the problem, she said, "which will be solved if we change our mindset."
She even said that volunteers are needed. "If there are people who want to help and only come and sit with the animals, it's a big deal because socialization helps us find adoptions."
Ms. Mitsidou also said that the government did some things, but "in essence there is no change". She pointed out that there is a problem of coordination, since, as she said, the responsibility for abuse issues lies with the Police and, by extension, with the Ministry of Justice. For the welfare of animals responsibility lies with the Ministry of Agriculture, and issues of nuisance fall under the Municipalities, and, by extension, the Ministry of Interior.
Ms. Charalambous said that "we must all become more correct towards our animals, but the legislation must be implemented regarding births and abandonments." She added that hunters should also set rules themselves, and expel from their community those who do not treat their dogs properly.
CNA
