By Bejay Browne.
Paws dog shelter in Paphos are hoping to find new forever homes for all of their dogs and in particular those that have been badly abused and made to fight.
Storm, a 7-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Pit Bull cross was left abandoned and tied up outside Paws around six months ago in a raging storm, hence the name, she had obviously just been used in a fight.
Storm is classed as a banned breed, (Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull and crossbreeds of each are on the dangerous breeds list in Cyprus and importing and owning them is banned, owners of these breeds, before the law was passed in 2002, should spay or neuter them to avoid further breeding) she needs to be re-homed in Cyprus, as she is not allowed to fly.
Shelter manager, Matthew Harris told the Paphos Post that she is a beautiful dog who deserves a loving home.
“Storm loves humans and loves to be cuddled but she is not great with other dogs as she has been used for fighting,” he said.
Another Staffordshire/Pit Bull cross is also looking for a forever home. Baxter is four years old and has also been used for fighting, he too is a lovely dog, said Harris. Dogs such as these are often passed over by members of the public looking to adopt.
The numbers of abandoned and stray dogs, many of them dumped in terrible conditions, is particularly prevalent this year, according to shelter manager Matthew Harris.
“As quickly as we re-home and neuter the dogs, more and more appear. We aren’t able to take them all and I have never seen so many stray dogs in areas such as Tala, Peyia and Coral Bay,” he said.
There are currently around 150 dogs and puppies at the facility, many of them have sad stories, and more recently numerous serious cases of cruelty are being witnessed, he said. Dogs are also being dumped in a nearby lane or tied to the shelter gates in terrible conditions and in all weathers.
The shelter costs around €230,000 a year to operate and is funded by the Paws charity shop in Chlorakas and other fund-raising events. The shop, is stuffed full of furniture, clothes, bric-a-brac and all sorts of items for the home, it brings in around €10,000 a month, he said.
Harris and his staff also visit schools and education centres to teach about animal welfare and how to look after a pet at home, students can also come to the shelter, he said.
As with some other charities, Paws often re-homes dogs abroad, but despite large numbers leaving the island and neutering programmes taking place, Harris said numbers of unwanted dogs show no signs of decreasing.
“I can’t really fathom out why this, but basically, people aren’t responsible.”
For further information: www.pawsdogshelter.com
