Over 200 animal cruelty cases in Cyprus. 25 have been brought to court.

The Cyprus Police investigated 208 cases of animal cruelty from January to the end of July 2026. These cases covered a total of 218 crimes. Of these, 25 serious cases, including poisoning animals, were brought to court.

The data was released as another investigation in Paphos into the death of a cat found with 13 pellets. Two 18-year-olds and a 16-year-old were arrested in connection with the case. The law currently provides for up to two years in prison and a €20,000 fine for a first conviction, and up to three years and a €30,000 fine for a subsequent conviction.

Animal abuse in Cyprus. What does the data show?

According to police data cited by AlphaNews 208 cases cover the period from January 1 to July 31, 2026This is an important distinction: the statistics presented in October are not a summary of all events up to that month.

The number of crimes is higher than the number of cases because one proceeding may concern several acts.

The report identified 25 serious cases involving cruelty or mistreatment of animals. These included poison administration and other violations of the Animal Protection and Welfare Act. All were recorded in court.

Taking a case to court does not mean a conviction. The published figures do not present the balance of convictions or the amounts of penalties actually imposed.

Up to two years in prison on a first conviction

The parliament adopted the tightening of penalties in April 2025. The current provision provides for a penalty of up to 24 months imprisonment, a fine to 20,000 euros or both penalties at the same time.

For a second or subsequent conviction, the upper limits are 36 months in prison and 30,000 euro fineIn such a case, the court may also apply both penalties.

These are the maximum statutory penalties. They do not mean that every person found guilty will receive the maximum fine or prison sentence.

What penalties do the regulations provide?

First conviction

Prison: up to 24 months

Fine: up to 20,000 euros

Second or subsequent conviction

Prison: up to 36 months

Fine: up to 30,000 euros

The court may impose a prison sentence, a fine, or both. The values provided are statutory upper limits.

Cat found dead in Paphos. Three arrested.

One of the latest cases to come to light involves a cat belonging to a 56-year-old resident of Paphos.

The owner reported it to the police October 4that he found the animal dead near his home. During a post-mortem examination the following day, the presence of 13 pellets from firearms.

During the investigation, two 18-year-olds and a 16-year-old were arrested. The court issued temporary detention orders for them while proceedings are being conducted.

Police are investigating the killing of the animal and possible weapons offences, including illegal possession and transport of weapons and firing a shot in a residential area.

Those detained are suspects. The information provided does not constitute a determination of their guilt.

Statistics do not yet show the effectiveness of harsher penalties

The number of cases conducted alone does not allow us to assess whether tightening regulations has reduced the scale of animal abuse. Such a comparison would require data from previous years and information on closed cases.

The number of proceedings should not be equated with the total number of animals harmed. The list covers cases handled by the police.

The issue of animal welfare oversight has also resurfaced following Saturday's incident at Melios Zoo. As reported on CyprNews, a bear escaped from its enclosure, and the incident once again raised questions about the implementation of previous decisions regarding the facility.

Sources: AlphaNews, Cyprus Mail, RIK, Cyprus News Agency, CyLaw, CyprNews archive.