Back in November, I wrote a comment about how I believe our reputation as animal abusers and haters is not justified, which provoked many responses from people who disagreed with my view.
Most of these people are actively involved in animal rescue or welfare and had some horrific stories of first-hand animal abuse to share, thus arguing that we are indeed still barbarians. Having seen what they have seen, I am not surprised that my comment riled them as it may have appeared flippant or ignorant from someone who is not living and experiencing these horrors daily.
I had never said that animal abuse on the island didn't exist, my point was that although it does exist, I do not think it is any worse than anywhere else (more apparent maybe due to our small size). And more importantly, that there are a great number of animal lovers on the island being unfairly tarnished with this reputation for animal cruelty.
In the weeks following, there seemed to be nothing but stories on animal abuse in the news and on Facebook, as though my words were coming back to bite me on the bum! But, all of this actually supports my view. The very fact that so many people are standing up and exposing the cruelty, taking their own time to work tirelessly for these animals, and that the stories of abuse are making the news and sending shockwaves prove what I said – that there are many, many animal supporters and lovers on the island. It goes to follow therefore, that we cannot be the nation of animal abusers our reputation tells.
My comment seems to have been timely, as it feels as though there is a real momentum gathering in support of our furry friends. I don't know if this is because Facebook and other social media sites have allowed people to share their stories and pictures, thus making it difficult to sweep cases under the carpet, or because the powers-that-be can no longer treat the issue as unimportant as a European member state. Maybe there is an increased level of awareness as organisations such as the Larnaca Famagusta Association for the Protection of Animals and Birds hold regular fundraisers. Whatever the reason, it feels like 2014 could really make a difference to animal rights on the island, and I know that Larnaca stands in good stead, as there are a number of devoted people who are going to make sure that it happens.
I hope that when the time comes to write part 3 of this comment, that I can categorically state that we are indeed not the barbarians of our reputation but rather heroes in Europe thanks to ordinary, every day people standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and really making a difference.
First appeared in The Cyprus Weekly, 11/01/14
