The cost of owning an unsterilised dog should be significantly higher in order to compel owners to proceed with sterilisation, the president of animal welfare organisation “Rights For Animals”, Chrysso Kakofengitou, said on Friday, commenting on amendments to the Dogs Law passed by parliament on Thursday.
Speaking to CNA, Kakofengitou described the revised fee for keeping an unsterilised dog as a “major mistake”, arguing that it reflects a lack of understanding of the realities surrounding stray and unwanted animals in Cyprus.
“If dogs in Cyprus remain unsterilised, they can produce around 5,000 puppies every year. Within five years, that number rises to 12,000, and within 15 years to 36,000,” she said, questioning whether there are enough people willing to adopt them.
“Do lawmakers really believe we can allow dogs to keep reproducing without safeguards? Who will take all these puppies?” she added, noting that many newborn animals are abandoned at shelters run by animal welfare groups.
Kakofengitou argued that the right to own an unsterilised dog should come at a substantially higher cost – suggesting fees of up to €1,000 – in order to encourage responsible ownership. She stressed that sterilisation benefits both the health of the animals and wider society.
She also warned that the organisation intends to step up its response to the issue, saying it may take puppies to political party offices “so they can understand what is really happening”, claiming that decision-makers are out of touch with the scale of the problem.
“We need to address uncontrolled breeding. It has to stop,” she said.
The organisation is expected to study the amendments in detail and issue a formal response in the coming days.
