Seven newborn puppies found dumped at a dam in Xyliatos, Nicosia district, about a month ago, sparked outrage amongst animal welfare campaigners, with only one surviving despite rescue efforts.
The Movement of Ecologists said the puppies were thrown away “like rubbish” in an illegal and condemnable act. The group issued a public appeal to find a nursing dog to adopt them, describing this as the only way the vulnerable newborns could survive.
Vasilis Pentafkas, a licensed dog carer and breeder, responded and took the puppies in. For six of the puppies, it was already too late.
The surviving puppy was adopted by Pentafkas’s dog and remains alive after intensive care, a development those involved described as a “small miracle”. Andreas Christofi also contributed to the rescue effort, according to the movement.
Animal welfare organisations and citizens said abandoning animals, particularly newborns, amounts to a slow and torturous death. They called for stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws and increased public awareness.
The way a society treats defenceless animals indicates its level of civilisation and humanity, campaigners said, reopening debate about the values society chooses to uphold.
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