Veterinary services in Limassol are currently caring for 144 dogs and 37 cats rescued from the devastating wildfires, while volunteer organisations continue to assist in the affected areas, Animal Welfare Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou said on Friday.

“There are a number of dead animals that were either trapped in houses or roaming freely within the fire zones,” Theodosiou said.

According to the commissioner, most of the rescued animals — 104 dogs and 31 cats — had owners. Additionally, 18 stray dogs and six stray cats were treated and remain under care at veterinary clinics.

In a statement earlier on Friday, Theodosiou called on the public to assist, announcing that pets, strays, and farm animals found dead after the fires would be cremated.

“As the commissioner’s office, we can help, but this must be done in cooperation with local authorities, veterinary services, and the company responsible for cremations,” she said.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Theodosiou added that several volunteers joined forces with the animal police on Thursday to search for animals – dead or alive – in the affected areas, successfully transferring many to clinics offering free care.

“As for wildlife, there are certainly casualties we cannot quantify,” she said.

She explained that vast areas of wildlife habitat – where birds and other animals feed and nest — have been destroyed. Many birds were nesting at the time, compounding the tragedy.

Head of the animal police department, Nicoletta Tyrimou, said all four officers from the Limassol unit had been deployed to assist since Thursday and would continue working through the weekend.

“Our officers heard a dog barking inside a burning house and rushed in. It was a Chihuahua that tried to bite them, but luckily they managed to rescue it from the flames,” she said.

Tyrimou stressed that while her team is doing its best, their resources are limited. “In theory, community councils are responsible for coordinating this effort, which makes the operation more challenging,” she said.

Senior veterinary officer Apostolos Mazeris said that veterinary teams have been sent to the affected communities to assess the number of livestock lost.

“There’s a significant amount of livestock farming in the fire-hit areas, mainly sheep and goats, numbering about 15,000,” he said. So far, around 50 animals have been found.

Mazeris added that severely injured animals would either be transported for slaughter or euthanised on-site, depending on the circumstances. “We are taking action to ensure no animal is left to suffer,” he said.

He also highlighted that damage assessments are ongoing for beekeepers in the area, where the extent of losses is still unclear and the evaluation process was ongoing.

“When dead farm animals are found and if conditions permit and there is no danger to the people who approach, the company that is contracted with the veterinary services, and the state, will be contacted and take care of the bodies as required by law”, he said.

Commissioner Theodosiou noted that there is still no definitive count of how many animals — domestic, stray, wild, or farm — have perished or been displaced in their efforts to flee the fires.

The Cyprus veterinary association on Thursday released a list of clinics in Limassol, Paphos, and other areas where animals impacted by the fires can receive free treatment.

Several volunteers have been sharing pictures of injured, lost and found animals on various social media platforms, with some of them even creating an excel sheet with pictures and descriptions of lost and found cats and dogs in the areas.