Only through the cooperation of all state agencies, the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, private veterinarians, animal welfare and other organizations, and citizens can we build a state governed by the rule of law that places animal welfare at the heart of its culture and policies, said the Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare, Antonia Theodosiou, in her address at the General Assembly of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE).
According to a statement, Theodosiou said that since its establishment in 1978, the Association has served as the administrative, scientific, and professional body of Cypriot veterinarians, playing a decisive role in enhancing the standing and international recognition of Cypriot veterinary science.
She added that her Office also collaborates with the Veterinary Services and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Environment, joining efforts as regards the welfare of animals and the protection of the environment.
“This spirit of cooperation and shared vision makes it even more meaningful that Cyprus is hosting the General Assembly of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe this year, especially in a year that marks the Federation’s fiftieth anniversary; counting five decades of meaningful contribution to animal health and welfare, to public health, and to the environment,” she added.
As she explained, the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare is committed to related policies and activities, operates under the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus and functions as an independent institution, ensuring the objectivity and autonomy of its interventions, thus allowing for greater flexibility and consistency in fulfilling its mandate.
She added that in January 2024, she was appointed by the current government as Commissioner for the Environment, while in October of the same year, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, extended the scope of her appointment to include animal welfare, particularly of companion animals.
“This decision reflects the Government’s commitment to strengthening coordination and cooperation among all competent authorities and stakeholders, with the aim of establishing an integrated and effective framework for animal protection and welfare, as well as ensuring the adequate implementation and improvement of existing legislations and policies”, she noted.
“We do acknowledge existing weaknesses and challenges in the management and protection of companion animals, either stray, free-roaming or domestic,” she continued.
She added that in this context, the Commissioner’s Office recently completed and submitted to the Cyprus Presidency an Action Plan for Animal Welfare, specifically of dogs and cats, which sets out measures for identification, sterilisation, public awareness, responsible ownership and adoption initiatives; the provision of public veterinary care for stray animals and for companion animals owned by vulnerable population groups; the upgrading of existing municipal and private-owned dog shelters; the establishment of new facilities for stray animals in each district; training programmes for inspectors in local authorities and other services; and encouragement of volunteerism.
She also said that pending review by the competent Ministries, the Action Plan for the Welfare of Dogs and Cats may be implemented gradually or, ideally, in its entirety, depending on the availability of financial and human resources within State Services and Local Authorities.
“The objective is to strengthen cooperation and promote synergies between the State, Local Authorities, and Civil Society, in order to establish a modern and reliable model for achieving, among others, the effective management of the current overpopulation of stray and free-roaming dogs and cats, as well as their welfare; a reliable model that will also have a positive impact on public health and safety, the environment, the economy, our communities, tourism, and culture,” she stressed on the subject.
“Only through the collaboration of all (central government, local authorities, parliamentarians, the Pancyprian Veterinary Association and individual veterinarians, associations animal welfare and other organisations, the civil society) we can build a state governed by the rule of law, one that respects the value of every form of life and places animal welfare at the heart of its culture and its policies”, the Commissioner concluded.