MPs have called for urgent legislation to guarantee the right of people with disabilities to use assistance dogs, after hearing that training costs of up to €50,000 and a legal gap have left just three certified dogs in Cyprus.
The House Human Rights Committee met on Monday following a motion by MP Christos Senekis, with broad political and institutional consensus emerging for immediate regulation.
Senekis told the committee the right to be accompanied by an assistance dog is already enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Cyprus ratified in 2011. But he said Cyprus still lacks legislation on universal access for people with disabilities to public and private spaces, public transport and services.
He is now drafting a bill in consultation with the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organisations (KYSOA) and the Pan-Cyprian Organisation of the Blind to fully enshrine the right in law.
Senekis also pointed to Greece, which has regulated the right since 2010, and said certification could be linked to the Dogs Law or the Persons with Disabilities Law to explicitly guarantee the right.
Committee chair Eirini Charalambidou called the issue “extremely important” and highlighted the obstacle of certification. “It cannot be that around €10,000 is required for the certification of a guide dog. The state has a duty to resolve the issue with a clear legislative framework and certification process,” she said.
High costs and certification
MP Charalambos Theopemptou said discussions about exempting assistance dogs from the ownership fee had highlighted the absence of certified dogs in Cyprus.
Training costs can reach or exceed €10,000, he said, whilst in some cases much larger amounts are involved. He also noted that whilst the European Union requires acceptance of assistance dogs on transport, there is no common certification system.
Pelagia Englezaki, director of the School for the Blind, said the cost of training a dog can reach as much as €50,000 at schools abroad. She explained that the process starts when the animal is young, lasts years and requires combined training of dog and owner, as well as regular assessments.
MP Alexandra Attalides said that in many European countries animals are more widely accepted in enclosed spaces, whilst Cyprus still has prejudice. She stressed that for many people with disabilities, the assistance dog is their eyes and protection, and in many cases their only companion.
Ministries and organisations respond
Petros Anagiotis, speaking for the Interior Ministry, said there was a positive response to regulating the issue.
Christakis Nicolaides, president of the Pan-Cyprian Organisation of the Blind, said the issue was first raised as far back as 1980, when dogs were sent abroad for training. He noted that today there are only three assistance dogs in Cyprus and stressed the need for new legislation to regulate certification and free access to public spaces.
A representative of the Ombudsman’s Office said no complaints have been recorded to date, which she attributed to the absence of a certification framework. She noted that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism has no clear provisions for assistance dogs in tourist accommodation, whilst the Road Transport Department applies European regulations requiring access to public transport with a muzzle and health booklet — a point that drew reactions from MPs.
The police representative said lack of resources is a deterrent to training assistance dogs. The Union of Municipalities expressed support for establishing a clear framework and said it remains open to cooperation.
Next steps
Charalambidou said at the end of the session that the issue would be forwarded immediately to the Interior Ministry in cooperation with the Justice Ministry, whilst Senekis would table a bill.
She said it was an issue of social sensitivity and fundamental rights, and that the state has a duty to intervene.
The aim is to create a clear and universal framework that will ensure a national certification system for assistance dogs, state coverage of costs or a relevant allowance, explicit exemptions for access to all spaces, and staff training and public awareness.
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