Volunteers and animal welfare advocates in Paphos are seeking an urgent solution to prevent a looming crisis after the Paphos Animal Shelter announced it would close after 40 years of operation. The closure threatens the fate of approximately 2,000 animals currently housed at the facility.
A protest was held today outside the Paphos District Court, where demonstrators demanded that the state or local authorities find an immediate solution. The protest followed the filing of a lawsuit against the shelter’s representatives.
Ηope emerged when it was announced that representatives of the shelter and the Animal Party Cyprus have been summoned to the Yeroskipou Municipality next Thursday for discussions on the matter.
Calls for suspension of court order
Dozens of advocates and volunteers working at the shelter held banners and placards, calling for public and state assistance to find either a new site for the shelter’s relocation or a way to rescue the animals.
Kyriacos Kyriacou, President of the Animal Party Cyprus, who attended the demonstration, stated that the protestors’ demands include the suspension of the court order for the shelter’s closure—which was reportedly issued due to nuisance—and the identification of an alternative space to house the animals. Kyriacou expressed optimism that the meeting next Thursday at the Yeroskipou Municipal Hall could yield a positive outcome.
Irene Diamantopoulou, the shelter’s volunteer and education officer, explained that the facility has operated for the last 40 years on land that was voluntarily ceded by the owners for the shelter’s needs. With the landowners now requiring the land back, she said, “we expected some response for the shelter and all the animals to be moved safely.”
The shelter currently houses a wide variety of approximately 2,000 animals. These include around 150 donkeys and horses, while the rest are dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, and one pony.
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