Cyprus police say they are 'very sensitive' to animal abuse

The Cyprus Police are "very sensitive" to issues involving abuse and mistreatment of animals, a spokesperson of the force told CNA on Wednesday following a report by an animal welfare organization that a complaint about an animal welfare case fell on deaf ears.

The Cyprus Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA), slammed authorities for inaction regarding a complaint filed about two dogs being kept in a cage covered with corrugated iron, in the midst of a heatwave, in an area in the Nicosia district.

The President of the CSPCA, Toula Poyadji, stated in a post on social media and in a press release, that a telephone complaint was made to the Veterinary Services "that requested that the complaint be sent by fax or e-mail. Unfortunately, the person who complained has neither a fax nor an e-mail." Then, she says, the same person called the Animal Protection Police, "which is basically non-existent," Poyadji added.

Eleni Constantinou, an officer at the Police Press Office, told CNA that they have had several complaints so far which have been investigated while people have been brought to justice.

She said that the members of the Police force are immediately activated to investigate any information concerning such cases. For this reason, she added, the Animal Protection Police have also been established, recently, with a number of the force’s members staffing this service in all police headquarters throughout Cyprus.

She added that these members have been trained to handle such cases while their training is continuous.

"We have had several complaints so far that have been investigated, and people have been brought to court," she said.

Members of the public may call the main telephone lines of the Police headquarters of each district and will be redirected to an officer of the Animal Protection Police who will register the complaint and launch an investigation, Constantinou added.

She called on members of the public, should they become aware of such an incident, to inform the police immediately.

Constantinou clarified that when someone calls to file a complaint with Animal Police officers, they will be asked to go to the police station to file a complaint in writing, and then the investigation will begin.