It’s sadly not unusual in Cyprus to see animals left out in the elements, tied to a tree, staked in a field, expected to “be fine.” But a video that went viral over the weekend forced a harder conversation about what “fine” really looks like: a shivering donkey, tethered in an open field in Prodromi, standing helplessly as rain hammered down and hail threatened to follow.
The clip, posted on Facebook, struck a nerve across the island. What followed wasn’t just outrage; it was a race to protect the animal because, once again, the official channels that should have responded simply didn’t.
“OK, we said donkeys are tough animals, but not really,” the original poster wrote, showing the poor creature drenched and unable to shelter. “It’s raining cats and dogs… what can I do? Does anyone know the owner so I can contact him?”
Within minutes, the comment section turned into a live emergency operation. People tried to reach the Animal Police, Animal Protection, and district veterinary stations, but call after call went unanswered. Some dialed the national hotline 1460 with the same result. Even the Paphos and Nicosia numbers rang without anyone picking up.
One commenter managed to track down the owner’s family. “He told me he’ll talk to his father and call me,” she wrote, noting the donkey had a rope stretching to a nearby tree, a meaningless gesture when the sky is exploding above you. She also noticed the animal limping on one leg.
Animal Welfare Paphos later replied that if the owner didn’t want the donkey, they could arrange to take it, an offer that came only after persistent tagging and public pressure. Meanwhile, residents themselves kept returning to the field, posting updates because they didn’t trust that anyone in authority was actually handling it.
By evening, a woman identifying herself as Mrs. Olga from the Veterinary Services called the original poster with a number for the town’s veterinary station to follow up the next morning. Local police also requested details and promised coordination with veterinary officers, promises that have been made before and, too often, forgotten.
The poster assured followers they would monitor the case “to make sure the animal gets the attention it deserves,” thanking the dozens who stepped in when the system didn’t.
Because that’s the uncomfortable truth this video exposed: in Cyprus, vulnerable animals often rely more on Facebook users than on the services meant to protect them. People acted quickly. Authorities did not.
And in a weekend defined by floods, toppled trees, and surging rivers, it was this one drenched donkey, left alone to endure a storm, that reminded the public how easily suffering can be overlooked and how much heavier the burden falls on ordinary citizens to fix what shouldn’t be broken in the first place.
