The Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation is demanding a full investigation into the poisoning of a family dog in Dali nearly eight months ago, after the owners say they have received no meaningful update from police — and after the solid poison that killed the animal was found next to a four-year-old child’s toys.
The party said on Monday that the case, involving the death of a dog named Lilly on 17 August 2025, has stalled despite witness statements and available evidence. The party said Animal Police in Nicosia had failed to meet basic investigation protocols.
According to the party’s statement, Lilly consumed an unknown substance while in the family’s yard that bore all the signs of solid-form poison.
The fact that the poison was placed beside the toys of a four-year-old child turned what the party described as a criminal act of animal abuse into a direct threat to human life as well.
The movement also alleged that a second dog died in similar circumstances around the same time, but was never sent for post-mortem examination.
Instead, it was handed to the municipality and, according to the party, discarded in a well that was used by the local community to dispose of dead animals — on the grounds that the animal bore no microchip, a claim the party said was false.
The movement said the animal should have been treated as crucial evidence, adding that disposing of carcasses in a well also risked contaminating groundwater.
The party listed a series of alleged failures by Animal Police, including: failure to secure the scene, failure to collect key evidence, failure to use the second dead animal as forensic material, and unjustified delays in gathering evidence from a suspect.
The movement also said footage allegedly showing suspicious activity had not been properly examined.
On 25 January 2026, the dog’s owners wrote to the Chief of Police, copying in the responsible ministry and other bodies. The party said no reply had been received.
Anthi Mouzouri, coordinator of the Movement of Ecologists’ Animal Action Team, said the situation was unacceptable. “It is inconceivable that in a European country such serious cases remain at a standstill,” she said. “When will proper practices finally be applied? When will an independent Animal Police unit be created with adequate staffing and meaningful action? Impunity breeds repeat offences.”
The movement is calling for an immediate and full investigation into the case, official notification of the owners without further delay, accountability where warranted, and a substantial reorganisation of the Animal Police.
The party said it also intends to formally report the alleged disposal of animal carcasses in a well by the local authority, citing the risk of groundwater contamination.