Paphos residents to hold a protest against the closure of Animal Rescue Cyprus shelter

In Paphos, under threat of closure is one of the oldest and largest shelters on the island — Animal Rescue Cyprus, housing nearly two thousand animals.

The organization may lose the land where its enclosures and utility buildings have been located for many years.

According to the shelter manager, Irini Diamantopulu, the landowners recently notified the organization of their intention to use the land for other purposes and demanded the area be vacated.
This decision threatens the existence of the shelter: it houses enclosures, feed storage, and veterinary facilities. Moving such a scale, volunteers say, is almost impossible without government assistance.

Animal Rescue Cyprus operates entirely on donations — the shelter does not receive government funding. Volunteers and staff care for the animals daily, providing food, medical treatment, and safety.
Diamantopulu emphasized that the authorities are aware of the situation but have so far not proposed any solution or alternative site.

To draw attention to the issue, volunteers are organizing a peaceful protest —
on November 14 at 10:00 in front of the Paphos District Court building.

They hope that public discussion will help find a solution and preserve the shelter, which has been saving homeless animals across Cyprus for over 40 years.

Animal Rescue Cyprus was founded in 1982 under the name Cyprus Cat Protection (CCP) and Animal Welfare, and has been operating under its current name since 1994.