In Latsia, The Disappearance of Sterilized Cats Is Being Investigated: Animal Welfare Advocates Dissatisfied With Progress

On January 25, 2026, an official complaint was filed after three sterilized cats disappeared from a property in Latsia, where volunteers had cared for them daily for many years.

The chairman of the Cat Protection and Welfare Association, Dinos Agiomamitis, who is also a member of the Pankepra Animal Protection Coordination Committee, sent a letter to the Nicosia District Animal Welfare Committee, as well as to the police, veterinary services, and other competent authorities. In the letter, he expressed serious doubts about how the investigation was being conducted.

According to the complaint, a woman allegedly captured the cats and placed them in her car. The car's license plate was reportedly given to the “animal police.” The suspect stated that the animals were sick, that she took them to a veterinarian and then returned them, but she did not provide the name of the clinic.

According to Agiomamitis, the police contacted the woman by phone and accepted her explanation without further verification. "Obviously, the accused could not have forgotten which veterinarian she took the kittens to," he noted.

After repeated appeals by activists and media coverage, the police reported that they checked surveillance camera footage from a supermarket, identifying the woman as a suspect and summoning her to give testimony.

At the same time, additional complaints emerged in animal welfare circles: it is alleged that the same woman, together with others, collected cats from colonies and streets, placing them in a van. These claims have not been officially confirmed.

The police stated on February 13 that the investigation continues. Regarding the possible involvement of a single individual or a wider group, authorities responded that the case is in the stage of collecting testimonies. No specific information has yet been provided about the fate of the missing animals.

Agiomamitis emphasized that since the first complaint was filed, he has received no response from the competent authorities, despite being a member of official structures provided for by animal protection law. He called the situation “unacceptable” and stated his intention to escalate the case to European authorities.

It remains unclear whether the numerous reports of missing cats across Cyprus are related to the Latsia incident or if they are separate cases. The police do not confirm a connection between the episodes.