STRAY DOGS IN PAPHOS FOREST A ''HEADACHE'' - REQUEST FOR THEIR KILLING - Pafos Press 6/7
According to a report in “Fileleftheros”, the Department of Forests is promoting the development of a unified and functional framework for the management of stray and uncontrolled dogs that have been identified in the Paphos State Forest, as the phenomenon has taken on serious dimensions with impacts on wildlife, visitor safety and public health.
For this purpose, today, Monday 6 July 2026, an interdepartmental meeting is being held under the chairmanship of the Director of the Department of Forests, Savvas Ezekiel, with the participation of all relevant bodies. The Police, the Game and Fauna Service, the Veterinary Services, as well as the District Local Government Organizations of Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos have been invited to the meeting.
As noted, the problem in the Paphos forest has developed into an issue of high ecological importance, with the Department of Forestry warning of the intense pressure on wildlife, and in particular the protected Cyprus wild boar, which has become a target of persecution by stray animals. At the same time, concerns are being registered for the safety of visitors and workers, as well as for the possible transmission of zoonoses.
The meeting will discuss critical management issues, including the recording of incidents, the reporting process, the clarification of the responsibilities of the services involved, the collection and temporary custody of animals, as well as the control of their ownership or abandonment. At the same time, preventive measures will be examined to limit the phenomenon of animal abandonment, as well as ways to inform local communities and the public.
Particular reference is made to the existing legislative framework, which already provides the Police and the Game and Fauna Service with the ability to proceed, at their discretion, to kill stray animals, under the strict condition that direct and uncontrolled damage to wildlife or livestock premises is observed.
As stated in the publication, the intention of the Forestry Department is to activate and systematize these procedures in the Paphos Forest as well, with the aim of dealing with dogs that are documented to constitute a threat, in order to stop the further destruction of the forest ecosystem.
The goal, as emphasized, is to formulate a clear and applicable action protocol, with clear roles and immediate possibility of intervention by the competent authorities where required.
