A written statement regarding the incident with a dog that took place in Ayia Napa and caused a stir, was issued by the Minister of Justice Emily Giolitis.
Such a statement:
I also watched with intense concern the videos and images that were published, yesterday, on Social Media with the handling of an incident that concerned a dog, Bruno, in the Municipality of Ayia Napa.
A criminal investigation is already underway by the Police, which acted immediately and ex officio, on the way in which an official of the Municipality of Ayia Napa handled the specific incident. The investigation will proceed immediately and it is expected that within the next week the Police will register the case in the District Court of Famagusta. The dog was examined both yesterday and today by a government veterinarian, he is well and is in a place of hospitality of the Municipality of Ayia Napa. I am glad that a large portion of our fellow citizens have expressed interest in adopting Bruno and I hope that as many abandoned dogs as possible will be adopted.
On the occasion of yesterday's incident, I called a meeting today with the relevant Ministries, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Interior, the Veterinary Services, the Chief of Police and the Director of the Famagusta Police Department with the aim of coordinating the general services, so that we can deal more effectively with animal abuse in the future.
I unequivocally condemn incidents of animal abuse and violence and express the will of the state to deal decisively with such incidents, which do not honor any of us.
Within May is expected to:
- The Animal Police is established and operational.
- A protocol is signed with all the competent Authorities and Services, which will concern the handling of complaints and grievances on animal welfare issues.
Necessary steps are being taken to modernize and increase penalties for incidents of animal abuse, cruelty and torture, as the penalties for such offenses have been found to be very low. Indicatively, I mention that one of the suggestions is for the crime of animal abuse to increase the penalty from 86 euros to 500 euros.
Soon, a telephone line is expected to be available for citizens' complaints that will only concern incidents of animal abuse. The purpose is to respond promptly and channel complaints to the relevant department to deal with them.
I hope that we will not again, in the future, witness animal abuse and cruelty. Although the road is long, I hope that we will finally become human and treat the animals, which are defenseless and offer only selfless love, as befits humanity, love and respect.