Cyprus to Discuss the Possibility of Shooting Stray Dogs in the Paphos Forest

Today, July 6, Cyprus’s Forestry Department will hold an interdepartmental meeting to discuss measures to combat stray dogs in the Paphos Forest. One possible measure will be shooting the animals if it is proven that they pose a threat to wildlife.

Representatives of the police, the Game and Fauna Service, the Veterinary Services, as well as the local authorities of Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos, will take part in the meeting.

The main reason for the discussion is the need to protect the Cyprus mouflon — a rare endemic species that lives mainly in the Paphos Forest. According to the department, stray dogs regularly chase wild animals and disrupt the ecosystem.

In addition, the authorities say that such dogs may pose a danger to forest visitors and carry diseases dangerous to humans, including echinococcosis.

Current legislation already allows the police and the Game Service to shoot stray animals if it is proven that they are causing damage to wildlife or livestock farms. The authorities now intend to develop a unified course of action: determine how attacks are recorded, organize the capture and holding of animals, check for microchips and establish whether the dogs were abandoned by their owners.

The problem of stray animals in Cyprus has remained unresolved for many years. According to animal welfare organizations, about 99% of stray dogs found do not have microchips, although microchipping has been mandatory since 2002. Despite funding for animal shelters, the problem has not yet been fully solved.

At the same time, the discussion of a possible culling is taking place against the backdrop of preparations for a bill that would ban euthanasia of stray dogs and cats, except in cases where an animal poses a proven serious threat or is terminally ill.