More and more incidents of animal abandonment are being reported despite ongoing efforts by volunteers and authorities, the office of environment and animal welfare commissioner Antonia Theodosiou said on world stray day on Friday.

“The responsibility for animal welfare belongs to all of us,” Theodosiou said, adding that individuals, groups such as hunters, animal welfare organisations, dog and cat lovers, breeders, but also the state and local government all had their role “and share of responsibility”.

Pointing to a lack of infrastructure, limited resources, poor implementation of legislation and indifference or ignorance of a number of people, she called for enhanced cooperation amongst groups to collectively foster “substantial change”.

Theodosiou called for the active participation of the public, by adopting pets from shelters rather than buying them from breeders and sterilising them.

She also stressed the importance of donations and voluntary work with animal welfare organisations, adding that children would need to be taught the importance of respect for animals early on.

The commissioner said pet parents were responsible for raising their dogs and cats properly “as a simple act of respect for everyone”. 

She condemned any kind of animal abuse, calling on the public to report such incidents if witnessed, and said her office continued its efforts to create temporary care facilities and strategies to fight the abandonment of animals.

Theodosiou pointed out the need “to change mindsets and strengthen the animal welfare culture”, adding that she maintained contact with organisations, shelters and individuals to draft targeted proposals for the protection of animals, whether they were in homes or strays.

Meanwhile, the Animal Party turned to the public claiming that it had been unsuccessfully requesting an official meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides since 2023 and that political parties such as Disy, Akel and the Greens, as well as MEP Fidias Panayiotou, had been facing similar issues.

“The president of the Republic has an institutional obligation to listen to and respect the political parties and their leaders,” the party added.