# Is there anywhere i can walk my dog without the fear of poisoning ?



## hoppydog (Jan 18, 2015)

thinking of going to cyprus for an extended period of time, but what is really putting me off is the widespread laying down of poison EVERYWHERE to kill dogs and cats ( and any unfortunate wildlife/birds as well ), and also the deliberate poisoning of pets in their owners gardens.

the constant daily poisonings and cruelty to animals in general is a horrific stain on the reputation of cyprus worldwide, it really is beyond the pale, and cyprus needs to wake up and stamp out this barbarity, cos many potential tourists will not visit cyprus whilst the endemic widespread cruelty to animals continues.

why dont people in the uk arrange demonstrations at uk airports to make potential visitors to cyprus aware that they are putting money into the coffers of rampant animal abusers, and also that the treasured pet dog that some take with them is at very real risk of dying a painfull death whilst innocently sniffing the ground in cyprus,

this is what is stopping me going to cyprus, the fact that I CAN NOT TAKE MY BELOVED WELL BEHAVED SMALL PET DOG FOR WALKS IN CYPRUS, i would have to leave her in the flat 24/7 cos even a short walk around the block could kill her, and no more enjoyable evening strolls that i enjoy in the uk.

MY PLEA TO BOARD MEMBERS HERE IS---

is their anywhere in cyprus that i can safely walk my well behaved and friendly small dog, on a leash i might add, without the very real risk of her coming across deadly poison, and dogs being dogs, she likes to sniff the ground or eat a tempting poison laced tidbit on the ground.
i understand that even a muzzle will not protect her cos some of the poisons can kill a dog if merely sniffed or inhaled.

i know 2 expats in cyprus with dogs, and they both have had their pooches poisoned, the damn stuff is laid down everywhere, towns/citys/parks/pavements/verges/car parks/thrown into private gardens/beaches/rural areas/footpaths/ad nauseum

CYPRUS, wake up and smell the coffee, you lose out on much tourist revenue because of your irrational hatred of animals and especially your hatred of dogs.

please, could someone tell me if i can safely take my dog on daily walks anywhere at all in cyprus, and if the turkish side of cyprus is better/worse for the laying down of poison everywhere ?

what if i walk my dog on the roads at night when no cars are about, could i avoid poison this way ?, do the evil poisoners tend to put the stuff on roads ?,
or if i am spotted doing this could there well be poison on the same roads in the future so as to kill my dog ?

cheers


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## expatme (Dec 4, 2013)

Ther are many places to walk dogs here without fear. Many people who are worried keep there dogs on a lead and the dog has a muzzle.

There are thousands of pet owners here who are very happy.


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

My goodness what a melodramatic post full of incorrect information. If this is a genuine post asking for advice and not just an anti-Cyprus rant made by a troll, I would suggest relaxing a bit and getting the facts right.

Pleas made in a rant made to Cyprus are naive to the extreme when made on a forum such as this where the majority of people are ex-pats. There is no "Cyprus" to listen to such pleas.

If you feel that Cyprus has a hatred of animals then I sincerely hope you will stay away. If you want to look at things in perspective you will discover that the treatment of animals in the entire region is not to the same standard as the UK. That is not to say the UK has no animal cruelty, it certainly does and keeps the RSPCA and authorities busy. However if you visit any vet you will come across Cypriots who have a perfectly correct attitude to their animals making the blanket statement of hatred absurd.

To move onto poison needs a different perspective too. Most cases of poisoning concern poison aimed at rats that dogs happen to eat. There are cases of deliberate poisonings but these are a tiny minority and often feud based.

As has been pointed out, the simple measure of putting an easily available muzzle on the dog will eliminate the problem and allow the dog to roam freely otherwise just keep the dog on a lead. It will then be fine and not have the opportunity to ingest any poison that might be in the minority of areas.

I have never heard of any poison that will kill a dog by being inhaled and suggest that any poisons like that would be illegal and very dangerous as they would also kill humans including the ones handling the poison.

So the overblown problem you describe does not exist to anywhere near the same extent and the remedy to protect your pet is simple.

If you are unable to accept the advice given on this thread then I earnestly hope you will keep away from Cyprus as the last thing we need is an agitator stirring up trouble with exaggerated claims and insults against Cyprus and Cypriots.

Pete


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## Talagirl (Feb 24, 2013)

From your post it appears you have never been to Cyprus so I suggest you come for a visit and see for yourself. Cyprus coffee is good for the digestion - mine's a metriou.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I'll have a metrio too please

Seriously though, this rant is totally overboard and obviously a result of reading too much negative press without bothering to ask those of us who live here happily with our dogs and cats. 
As Pete says most cases of poisoning are due to rat poison being put down to kill vermin so when walking a dog in areas where that might be the case it is best to keep it on a lead and stop it picking things up. We walk our dog in the countryside away from farming areas and he able to run free.
When he is being walked around our village he is kept on a lead simply to avoid the risk of him running into the road in front of a car,( the drivers tend to drive too fast around the villages)


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## expatme (Dec 4, 2013)

Yup I'll have one as well


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## hoppydog (Jan 18, 2015)

yes, i have been to cyprus about 8 years ago, and the reason i am reluctant to go back is because areas that people walk their dogs are often laced with poison.

im after real information about how to keep my dog safe, not some indignant reply from those who wont have a bad word said about cyprus and cypriots,
hiding the truth and burying your head in the sand will not improve the situation in cyprus.

FACT, cyprus has a big problem with episodes of poisoning of strays AND pets, there are blogs and sites on the net that log such cases, and its daily, often multiple cases per day, and often in areas where people walk their pets, in towns and villages all over cyprus.

and that old chestnut about how there is cruelty to animals in the uk is a complete red herring used to defer attention away from countrys that have much worse records on animal cruelty, like cyprus.
the uk has 60 times the population of cyprus and millions of immigrants live here, so of course their are cases of cruelty, but the basic right of a person to enjoy an outdoor walk with their pet is sacred, and anyone caught abusing animals will be punished.
not so in cyprus, animal abusers operate with impunity, and for such a small island with a small population their is an outrageous level of cruelty to animals.

so no more cover ups cos you are afraid that tourists will stop coming to the country you have made your home if said tourists get wind of the cruelty there.
many in cyprus are on the defensive cos they can not sell their property, and they get angry when others point out the problems in cyprus, everyone has an agenda.
i am no damn troll, i have no agenda, i just want to keep my dog, and the pets of others, safer in cyprus.

potential tourists need to be informed as to how to keep their pets safe, not misinformation as to what a paradise cyprus is, cos it is not a paradise, and many expats have left cyprus, heartbroken over the poisoning of their treasured pets.

yes, many, but not all, cypriots have a very bad attitude towards animals and partic dogs, and the large hunting fraternity is responsible for much of the poisonings.
right now is the hunting season in cyprus ( although the hunters kill animals year round ), and the entire islands countryside echoes to the sound of gunfire as these vile hunters shoot everything that moves.
the same evil mentality that enjoys hunting is quite at home putting down poison all over the place, rejoicing in the thought of killing the pets of well meaning people who want to just enjoy a stroll with their dog.

yes, there are poisons laid down that kill dogs via inhalation, and of course the perpertrator will not die as he lays down the poison, dogs noses are many times more efficient than ours.
so how does a muzzle or lead help ?, it only takes a second for a dog to snatch a small piece of poisoned meat of the ground, and often its hard to even spot poison as you walk along.

i am well aware that most forums like this are heavily moderated, and any negative comments about cyprus are often not published, so i was expecting indignant pro cyprus rants trying to belittle those who are not happy with the status quo.


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

Well you've clearly made your mind up and are not prepared to listen to any alternative opinions nor are you willing to take the advice from those that have the experience.

Instead you are turning rather insulting which is fairly troll like.

I for one am not prepared to waste my time replying to you in the future and I strongly urge others to follow in the same vein and not encourage your inflammatory remarks.

This is a forum that offers lots of people help and advice in a most pleasant way. I hope the moderators will see fit to keep it that way.

Pete


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## Baywatch (Mar 30, 2014)

Veronica said:


> I'll have a metrio too please
> 
> Seriously though, this rant is totally overboard and obviously a result of reading too much negative press without bothering to ask those of us who live here happily with our dogs and cats.
> As Pete says most cases of poisoning are due to rat poison being put down to kill vermin so when walking a dog in areas where that might be the case it is best to keep it on a lead and stop it picking things up. We walk our dog in the countryside away from farming areas and he able to run free.
> When he is being walked around our village he is kept on a lead simply to avoid the risk of him running into the road in front of a car,( the drivers tend to drive too fast around the villages)


The myth that dogs can't be walked safe in Cyprus is heavily exaggerated. Deliberate poisoning of dogs are rare. Our dog runs free all year round, he is trained to not pick anything up and he never do.


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## hoppydog (Jan 18, 2015)

tip of the iceberg re sites that log some poisonings, often not updated, but gives an idea to the extent and locations of poison, and shows often that dog walking areas in towns are deliberately targeted ( i am not able to post links )----

facebook.com/SkippyKit

easterncyprus.com/archive/-poison-alerts-area-warnings-60343.htm

just google cyprus poison alerts, too many sites to list

calling for the mods to close topic stifles free debate, but i suppose they will to please those who dont want rational argument against their views


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

hoppydog said:


> the uk has 60 times the population of cyprus and millions of immigrants live here, so of course their are cases of cruelty,.


So in other words you are saying that it is because the UK has millions of immigrants that there are cases of cruelty?
If you bothered to do some research you would come across thousands of cases of cruelty by Brits, even in Cyprus many stray dogs are down to thoughtless idiots who bring their dogs here with them or get dogs from the shelters then when they can't make a go of it here just throw the animals out when they return to the UK.
My advice to you with your attitude is please do not come to Cyprus. 
I am now closing this thread and if you open a new on the same subject you will be banned.


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