Cyprus’s first regional dog shelter, operated by Nicosia municipalities, is expected to receive its licensing by the first half of 2025, Environment and Animal Welfare Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou has announced.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Theodosiou said plans for regional shelters managed by local authorities were first announced in 2019 with an 18-month implementation timeline, but the initiative failed to materialise.
In 2022, a new decision was made, backed by a €1.5 million support scheme to establish five regional shelters across districts and one for semi-mountainous areas.
The Commissioner’s office has prioritised supporting the development of the Nicosia municipalities’ shelter, which will serve Nicosia, Strovolos, Lakatamia, Agios Dometios, Engomi, and Aglantzia. “The licensing is imminent, pending urban planning and building permits,” she explained.
Theodosiou believes that licensed regional shelters operated by local authorities “will help 1000% in the proper management of stray dogs.”
The Commissioner has set an annual target of licensing at least one shelter, with efforts extending beyond Nicosia to other districts. She initiated a broad meeting with relevant departments and local authorities to coordinate the licensing of at least six shelters.
“All attempts face obstacles somewhere,” Theodosiou noted, explaining that one challenge is locating shelters away from residential zones to avoid disturbance.
According to the Commissioner, no shelters were licensed in 2024. She also addressed the issue of animal euthanasia, noting its controversial discussion in parliament. “The vast majority, if not all, animal welfare organisations oppose it. Our office also opposes it, but simultaneously, we must find a solution to the abundance of stray dogs.”
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