Cyprus has taken a historic step for animal welfare this week, banning euthanasia for healthy dogs and introducing stricter rules for dog owners.

The new law includes:

• Ban on euthanasia: Healthy dogs cannot be euthanized. Euthanasia is only allowed for dogs officially deemed dangerous.
• Registration: All dogs over two months old must be registered.
• Identification: Dogs must wear a collar tag with a license number and owner’s contact number.
• Reporting: Lost or stolen dogs must be reported within 2 working days; the death of a dog must be reported within 7 working days.
• Leash and waste: In public, dogs must be on a leash and owners must carry waste bags.
• Standardized fees: License fees are unified across Cyprus rather than set by local authorities. Licenses are free for assistance dogs, security force dogs and one sterilized dog per low-income pensioner.
• Stray protections: Stray dogs must be taken to shelters and can only be adopted after microchipping, sterilization, and registration in the new owner’s name.

Unfortunately, as we have seen in the past, having laws is one thing and enforcing them is another. While the new legislation bans euthanasia for healthy dogs and sets defined obligations for owners, existing shelters may struggle with capacity, and there are simply not enough shelters to accommodate all stray dogs. The government’s support, funding, and enforcement will be fundamental to ensuring the law is properly implemented.