The Nicosia Dog Shelter was established in 1990 as a registered non-profit organisation. We accommodate, at any one time, 300 homeless dogs of all shapes, sizes and lineage, in kennels situated on a piece of land in the UN buffer zone in Nicosia. We take in and care for stray and unwanted dogs which are neutered and rehomed.

The Nicosia Dog Shelter has been officially recognised by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to whom we are affiliated. We are also included in the official directory of animal welfare organisations of The World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The costs of running and maintaining the kennels, wages, veterinary fees, feeding and caring for the dogs are met from donations and funds raised by volunteers, as we receive very little assistance whatsoever from any official body. We run two charity shops which sell donated items, thus providing an income which helps to meet the expenses of the Shelter.

Dogs in Cyprus generally receive negative publicity and consequently there is an increasing number of dogs turned out to roam and fend for themselves, especially during holiday periods. Misguided and irresponsible owners, whether from ignorance, fecklessness, lack of money, or for whatever reason, do not spay their bitches, and it does not take much more than simple arithmetic to see that if a bitch has a litter of 10 puppies twice a year, and if half of those are females, within six months we can have 100 unwanted puppies. No provision is made for this situation.

Unfortunately, in recent years, we have noticed a huge increase in the number of pure-bred dogs being abandoned by their owners. These dogs are bought at pet shops or from breeders on a whim, to keep up with a fashion trend, or because they are cute puppies. Dogs have become yet another status symbol in the materialistic and shallow society in which we live. The owner often tires of the dog as quickly as they tire of a new handbag or a new pair of shoes, especially in the case where proper research into the breed was not done beforehand. (I.e. cute, white fluffball has now turned into a giant Samoyed which needs lots of exercise, grooming and eats like a horse. Also totally unsuited to the climate in this country and is suffering in the heat. )

Neither the Police nor the Municipalities have the necessary facilities to collect and keep dogs until their owners can be traced, or until they can be humanely destroyed in accordance with the law. It seems that the dog shelters are expected to shoulder this burden with a constantly-increasing number of unwanted dogs and puppies being handed over, yet no financial support given in return. Dog shelters in Cyprus are run by volunteers, and these volunteers are expected to care for these animals which they grow to love, but due to the lack of homes, they are sometimes forced, eventually, to put them to sleep.

Several years ago, we sought help from the Government of Cyprus and we were promised a piece of land for a new Shelter, thus enabling us to continue with our work, which is providing a valuable and very essential service for Nicosia. Unfortunately, this has not yet materialised. As well as needing funds to run and maintain the existing Shelter, we have to look to the future and make every effort to raise enough money to be able to start building a properly-designed new shelter with a greater number of kennels and more facilities for the dogs and volunteers.