The Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation has expressed strong concern and firm opposition to any proposal to cull stray dogs as a way of addressing the problem in the Paphos state forest, following media reports on the issue and the reaction this has generated among the public.
The Forest Department convened an inter-service meeting to tackle the issue on July 6, saying stray dogs have been attacking the protected Cyprus mouflon, chasing wildlife and endangering visitors and staff in the forest.
The Movement said the strong reaction and public outcry following the media reports show that citizens do not accept the killing of stray animals as a solution to a problem it says stems from the state’s incomplete application of already inadequate legislation.
It said protecting the Cyprus mouflon and wildlife is a duty for everyone, but that the solution cannot be to exterminate animals that are themselves victims of abandonment, irresponsibility and the state’s longstanding failure to apply effective prevention and control policies.
The Movement said Cyprus cannot return to practices reminiscent of past eras, when killing was the easy answer to every problem, adding that a modern European country must apply solutions based on science and respect for life.
It said humane and effective alternatives exist, including the collection of animals by specialised personnel using anaesthetic equipment where required or trapping systems, followed by transfer to appropriate shelters, alongside stepped-up checks, strict sanctions for those who abandon animals, and stronger sterilisation, microchipping and responsible ownership programmes.
Culling, it said, does not address the root cause of the problem, but instead shifts responsibility from those who abandon animals onto the animals themselves.
Anthi Mouzouri, coordinator of the Movement’s Animal Action Group, said a modern society cannot accept the killing of defenceless animals as a solution.
The Movement said it will closely monitor developments, calling on the state to reject any approach that treats culling as a solution and to proceed instead with a comprehensive management plan protecting both wildlife and animal welfare.
It also called on civil society to stand against practices it said undermine the country’s culture and values, saying the real solution lies in prevention, responsible management and holding those who create the problem accountable, rather than in the extermination of animals abandoned by humans.