Kittens have disappeared from a supermarket’s exterior where they had lived for years under the care of animal lovers, according to the Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation.
The animals were neutered and cared for daily with food and water provided, the movement said in a statement.
“As we learned from social media posts and related testimonies, an individual has been observed trapping the kittens and placing them in a car,” the movement noted.
According to those making the complaint, the person’s details were given to the Animal Police on Saturday, which took some actions and reportedly contacted the individual.
“However, the claims made appear to be unsubstantiated, as the kittens continue to be missing from their location,” the statement said.
“At the same time, there is information that kittens have disappeared from other supermarkets as well, making it necessary for the competent authorities to investigate these complaints too,” the movement said.
“Today is Wednesday and five days have already passed without any positive development or locating of the person in question. Volunteers are in despair as the cats continue to be missing, causing intense feelings of anger and anxiety about their fate.”
Under legislation, the release or abandonment of an animal under human care with the purpose of getting rid of it is prohibited.
“We demand the police take all necessary actions to locate the specific person, fully investigate the incident, return the cats to their location, and investigate the reports of cat disappearances from at least two other supermarkets,” the movement said.
The movement called on animal lovers who know anything related to the incident to inform the police immediately. “Unfortunately, yesterday, whilst citizens intended to provide information about the case, the Animal Police did not answer their calls,” it said.
“We note that we receive several complaints regarding the difficulty of communicating with Nicosia Animal Police. More generally, serious problems are recorded in the operation of the Animal Police Cyprus-wide, an issue for which we will request a meeting with the new Justice Minister,” the statement concluded.