Cyprus Dogs in Europe

devil · lecturer

Austria has passed a law making it illegal to chain up dogs, on the grounds that it makes them aggressive and they don't have enough room to move around and separate their toilet area from the rest of the space. This includes running chains. In addition, if dogs are kept in an enclosure, they must have a minimum of 20 m² each.

The Swiss National Council is also considering a similar law.

And Cyprus?

annecollings · advanced member

What chance in Cyprus!!! As you may have read before, I am involved with a dog shelter in Limassol. In 7 years in Cyprus I have seen too many BAD things. Currently I have just taken in a hunting dog that broke its leg from round the corner to me. This guy has been through about 10 dogs since I lived in my house (1 1/2 years!) He now has a puppy which has just arrived at my house this morning (it got out of its cage). The place where these dogs come from appears also to be a dumping ground for dead hunting dogs. I am afraid to report anything for fear of them coming and putting poison to my dogs. This is a dreadful situation and I have to live right next door to it!!! I am at a loss as to what to do.

The enforcement now of having proof of spaying for females and getting them licenced and microchipped I believe is going to produce a massive "throw away" of hunting dogs very soon. Cyprus is such a mess with so many things....

devil · lecturer

I agree. The police won't do anything, either. I reported the car no. of someone I saw dumping a dog on the motorway but there was no prosecution.

We did not have any intention of having another dog, until a 3-month puppy came and adopted us. He must have been mistreated by a cap-wearing Sri Lankan (rather a surprise), because he runs away every time he sees a man wearing a cap or a Sri Lankan, whereas he is very friendly towards everyone else. Of course, he is a multi-pedigree of extremely uncertain origin (there is no recognisable antecedent) and he has grown to a 25 kg, 2-y-o long-legged beastie who can rest his head on tables, when we aren't looking. He has two major behavorial defects which we cannot cure: he is a thief and he is headstrong to the extent that no one has been able to make him obedient, not even professional trainers. He will sit if you are insistent enough but that is about all. He will ignore treats if it suits him to continue what he is doing. I think his life prior to his coming to our house to be adopted (literally) must have been sheer hell (he was a skeleton and covered with parasites) and this has made him what psychiatrists call stark staring bonkers. I've never known a dog like this. Our previous one was a beautiful Appenzeller Mountain Dog, but that was some time ago.

erolz · lecturer

I would have to say that things are not much different in the North either Sad

Whilst there are many very good TC pet owners there are also many that are like the one that anne describes.

I accept that there is a very different culture and relationship towards animals here (than in say the UK) and generaly I try not to fall into the category of an imigrant european that comes to Cyprus and starts lecturing Cypriots on how things should be done - but on this issue it is very hard. The suffering of some of these animals is not acceptable and should not be tolerated.

-PatlicaN- · new member

Dogs are our chums Razz

Marina2005 · instructor

Hi all,

Its even very hard to keep a dog here in Cyprus!
We had a beautiful Grey wolf from one month old who had been given all her nessesary vet care, mirco-chipped, spayed and trained professionally and our neighbours would constantly complain about her.
We would bath her twice a month so noboby could say anything against her....so we thought!!
The neighbours on the other side also had a dog and one day i saw the other neighbours kid kick him 4 times!! He was a much smaller dog but it just goes to show you that this hatred of animals start from the parents and is passed on to the kids.
Anyway they complained so much that we got scared that they would poison her so we found a lovely older couple and gave her away, we visit her every couple of weeks but we were heart broken to see her go. Crying or Very sad

Piratis · Moderator

This thing is related to culture. In some other countries, the rabbit is a pet, and the cow is a holly animal. In some others such animals are food.

A fully vegetarian culture could criticize other cultures for the way that they treat animals, but when we keep animals in such bad conditions, modify them genetically to produce more meat, and eat them all day and night (and throw in the trash the rest of their bodies), and then we come to demand that some other animals should have 20 m² of private place, I think is very hypocritical.

Don't get me wrong, I also get pissed off when some people don't treat animals right.

I believe I law that would refer to all animals and say that they should be treated in a "humane" way, should not be tortured under any circumstances, and should be killed only when used for food etc, would be more fair.