The Green Party on Tuesday called for tougher measures to tackle animal abandonment following incidents in which dogs were struck by vehicles in Kornos, Kofinou and Anglisides.

In a statement, the party said the incidents had once again highlighted the serious problem of abandoned animals in Cyprus.

“How much longer must stray animals pay with their lives for human irresponsibility?” the group asked.

It called on the government and relevant authorities to introduce stricter legislation and enforcement measures, including the establishment and maintenance of a register of pet owners.

The register should be regularly updated and accompanied by periodic inspections, while checks on animal microchipping should be strengthened to ensure owners can be traced, the party said.

The Greens also demanded tougher inspections and penalties for animal abandonment, alongside organised and adequately funded neutering programmes.

They called for greater support for animal shelters and stray animal care programmes, as well as the development and implementation of a national action plan to prevent and manage the problem of stray animals.

Exclusive: Adrian Ramsay calls conference motion a distraction and says councillors should maintain coalitions where possible

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Adrian Ramsay, the former co-leader of the Greens, has urged his party’s councillors to reject the newly adopted “Zionism is racism” motion if it will help them stay in power in local government, in a fresh sign of internal dissent over the policy.

Ramsay, one of the Greens’ five MPs, said he was pleased that a number of Green council groups had already condemned the policy, which was adopted at the party’s conference and also calls for a single Palestinian state in place of Israel.