Some 2,000 animals are at risk of being abandoned for the second time in their lives following the recent threat to the future of Paphiakos animal shelter.
The shelter has operated for nearly four decades on privately owned land in Paphos’ Ierokopia district. On Monday, however, the landowners requested the return of their property to use it for other purposes. As a result, the animals are now faced with the threat of eviction, leaving volunteers desperate for answers and calling on the government to take immediate action.
A well-attended demonstration took place on Friday as shelter volunteers, members of the public and the Animal Party protested against the court order outside Paphos district court. The demonstration also aimed to raise awareness about the long-standing issue of animal abandonment.
“Stand by us, raise your voice, and show compassion for the thousands of innocent lives that depend on us,” urged the shelter’s volunteer group in a social media post. Irene Diamantopoulou, the shelter’s manager, expressed her deep concern that nearly 2,000 animals could be left homeless though she was grateful for the vocal show of support.
“Hundreds of people from of all kinds of backgrounds gathered outside the Paphos district court,” Diamantopoulou told the Cyprus Mail. While no official decision has been made, she is confident their voices were heard loud and clear.
The shelter is known for its strict no-kill policy and is the oldest, largest and busiest on the island. Entirely funded by volunteers’ goodwill, it serves as a vital space that the Paphos community depends on for the wellbeing of their furry friends. Protecting a wide range of animals from cats and dogs to hedgehogs, donkeys, horses, rabbits and goats, the volunteers emphasise, “these animals are not numbers, they are lives we’ve promised to protect.”
But operating without a formal licence in a developing tourist area has its risks, as the shelter’s shaky fate makes clear.
“Imagine your own land gets taken and turned into a shelter,” an Ierokopia municipality spokesman, who preferred to remain unnamed, told the Cyprus Mail. “The shelter’s location has violated zoning and building rules for years, within a significant tourist area.”
The situation escalated when the landowners’ demand sparked legal action to develop the land, leaving volunteers who refuse to abandon the animals at risk of arrest.
“We are all to blame for how this situation has unfolded, but the Ierokipia municipality, within whose boundaries the shelter sits, holds the greatest responsibility,” Environment and Animal Protection Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou told the Cyprus Mail. “The urgent priority now is to arrange the removal and proper placement of the animals.”
But the Ierokopia municipality shifts the blame onto the state. The spokesman said that the state “has not yet identified a suitable site where the shelter can be rebuilt without causing issues for any parties”.
“The municipality is cornered from all sides,” he said. “We’re caught between a rock and a hard place. The public asks why there aren’t plans for a new shelter, but how can there be a new shelter without any land assigned for it in the first place?” he asked, adding that the municipality has “no obligation” to act on the issue.
Both Theodosiou and Diamantopoulou have warned that some of the animals will be euthanised if alternative housing is not found in time.
They hope they can place domestic animals in other smaller shelters, even though they are full to capacity. But farm animals must pass medical exams before being sent to farms, even if any farms are willing to take them.
However, the manager warned that animals failing these exams will likely be euthanised.
“This is unacceptable. All of us volunteers would take a horse home without hesitation if we could,” said a frustrated Diamantopoulou.
She stressed that it is the government – not the volunteers – who should be responsible for the animals’ welfare.
“This situation is deeply disappointing. I don’t understand how, at this moment, they still consider themselves European,” she added, referring to the island’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council.
Theodosiou and the Ierokipia municipality remain in constant contact, emphasising the need to maintain communication to develop an effective rehousing plan. A planned meeting on Thursday offers a glimmer of hope.
“We’ve built a strong bond of trust and love with the animals. Seeing them taken away without a clear welfare plan is heartbreaking,” Diamantopoulou said.
