Having recently returned from Cyprus, I am appalled at what I discovered, the illegal poisoning and culling of stray cats and dogs. This method leads to a slow painful death for most animals. The laying of the poison in very public areas is indiscriminate in that domestic pets and wildlife are also falling victim.
The hotel cats for instance are generally very clean and sociable and provide free entertainment to the animal loving tourists (whom seem to be in the majority) and also provide an excellent job of keeping down vermin. The holiday firms, hotel owners and local councils are quite happy to leave the strays alone whilst the tourists are around, as generally they are well received by the tourists. A happy tourist is likely to spend more money, this seems to be their only concern otherwise the culling would go on during the tourist season. We are therefore being treated like fools, only there as an income source, because as soon as the tourists leave the barbaric carnage begins, which is indirectly funded by the you and me the tourist. I am sure that even tourists that are not fond of these animals would not want them to be exterminated in this way. Have you also considered that your child could also accidently pick up some of this poison and ingest it.
I have suggested they work with the animal charities to trap and neuter strays which is a system that works well in other countries, as well as being a humane method of control. Judging by my visit, the existing method of culling is not working as there was still a significant number of strays evident.
I have written a letter of complaint to the Cyprus Tourist Organisation and the Cypriot High Commission stating that there is nothing being done to stop this happening despite this is breaking Cypriot and EU law, I have not had a reply. It seems that it is also being carried out or at least condoned by some local councils.
The total disregard to enforcing the law and contempt of animal welfare generally is especially offensive as Cyprus currently holds the EU presidency. If they want to be a member state of the EU, they should at least abide by EU laws.
I would like anyone considering tourism to Cyprus to think again and boycott travelling to Cyprus until the situation changes.
