NICOSIA - Although the 2002 Dog Law stipulates that municipalities provide outside spaces for dog owners to walk their pets and most parks are therefore open to them, canines are made to feel welcome at very few.
Speaking to The Cyprus Weekly, a representative of the Green Party confirmed that efforts had been underway to encourage municipalities to make their parks more openly accessible to responsible dog owners.
Only six of the 30 approached responded to MP George Perdikes’ inquiry into whether they had taken any steps to make their parks dog walker-friendly and fewer still said they had taken any positive action - including removing signs forbidding dogs and replacing them with ones reminding owners to clean up after their pets.
Very few municipalities also provide bins for the disposal of dog waste.
Athalassa and Acadamias Parks in Nicosia are considered to be national parks and so come under the Forestry Department’s jurisdiction and that the Agriculture Minister had some time ago issued a decree forbidding the presence of dogs in national parks to protect the wildlife there.
Dog walkers face fines if they take their dogs to either of these parks.
In its response to Perdikes’ October 2011 inquiry, meanwhile, Limassol Municipality noted that it had forbidden the presence of dogs in all its parks.
Also, Strovolos Municipality is planning to request the Interior Minister’s intervention to actually ban dogs from a number of areas the Municipality is responsible for.
Speaking to The Cyprus Weekly yesterday, the Head of the Municipality’s Department of Parks and Recreation Loucas Loucaides said that the committee responsible would soon be seeking municipal council approval to approach the Minister with their request.
Loucaides said that the committee’s hands had been forced by some dog owners acting irresponsibly: “Dog mess in the parks has become a cause for concern not only for the health of the employees who maintain the park but also for the young children playing there.
“Also, there have been some safety issues. Recently, a young woman was attacked by a dog that had been let off its lead. She did not file a complaint to the police but she did complain to us.”
Loucaides said that provided the Minister agreed with the committee’s request, dog owners would not be able to take their dogs to certain areas but that others would remain open to them.