Around 2,000 animals at risk as Paphos shelter faces eviction

Around 2,000 animals at the Paphos animal shelter are at risk of losing their home after private landowners requested the return of the property where the shelter is based, manager Irene Diamantopoulou said on Monday.

She told the Cyprus News Agency that the landowners intend to use the site for other purposes and have asked for its return. If the shelter is forced to move, she said, all the animals currently housed there will also have to be relocated.

The shelter operates entirely through volunteer support and receives no government funding. Volunteers, Diamantopoulou said, “go above and beyond every day to feed, treat, and care for the animals,” despite limited resources.

She added that the issue has been known to the relevant authorities for some time, but no official solution has yet been proposed. She urged the public to show solidarity and support efforts to save the shelter.

To raise awareness, volunteers are planning a peaceful protest on November 14, at 10am outside the Paphos district court. The shelter has for years provided refuge to abandoned, sick, and injured animals across the district, relying on donations and volunteer work to continue its operations.

Its possible closure would leave hundreds of dogs and cats without care, highlighting ongoing challenges faced by Cyprus’ animal welfare organisations, many of which depend on private funding and volunteer efforts to survive.