Pause for a cause – Kyrenia Animal Rescue

We're looking at a charity very close to our hearts in this post – the very rescue centre where Immie, the H&H hound, came from!

The Kyrenia Animal Rescue (KAR), high in the Besparmak Mountains in Northern Cyprus, provides refuge for over 200 dogs and cats. A mixture of full-time staff and volunteers work constantly to maintain and improve KAR’s facilities, to the benefit of the animals in their care.

KAR was founded in 1997 by a small group of people who were saddened by the number of stray
animals they saw, and the conditions they were living in. A year later, the group was affiliated to the RSPCA in the UK. A year after that, the Forestry Department of Northern Cyprus donated a tract of land in the mountains where a kennel block, exercise compounds and caretaker’s accommodation were built, with the rescue centre opening in May. Since that time, KAR has initiated many incredible projects, all of benefit to the local community, their animals, and for animals without homes. These projects include a neutering programme; educational visits to schools; re-homing programmes; veterinary care; pet passports, and campaigns for changes in the law. KAR aims to change attitudes towards the welfare and care of animals in the community, and the centre has certainly taken leaps and bounds in the right direction.

One of KAR’s main successes is its neutering programme. This sees stray dogs and cats rounded up,
neutered, inoculated, treated for worms and fleas, and then released after they are fully recovered. Released dogs are also given a numbered ear tag to keep track of them.

A great number of the animals KAR rescues and cares for are able to be re-homed. Unfortunately, in a country as small as Cyprus, there aren’t many good homes available, so KAR also reaches out to people looking to adopt a rescue animal from other countries! Homes have been sought and found in Germany, France, and, as in Immie’s case, the UK. This process is much easier now than it would have been when Veloce’s Jude and Rod brought Immie home, following changes in legislation in 2012, so there’s never been a better time to adopt one of these lovely animals!

KAR continues to make improvements in the way it cares for its animals on-site. In November 2012, the charity moved into new office premises – with space in a large, open basement that looked an ideal place to set up its own veterinary clinic. It wasn’t long before the dream began to become a reality – funds were raised for partitions to be built, and a group of volunteers was formed to continue to raise funds, source equipment, and promote the clinic in local communities.

Donations of money, equipment, supplies and support were received, and gradually the clinic is taking shape. KAR’s plan is to employ a qualified vet who can not only neuter and treat the animals, but who could also mentor veterinarian students to be able to gain vital operational skills.
If you’re interested in giving one of KAR’s many gorgeous furry friends a forever home, details of the costs involved and the steps to take can be had by contacting KAR’s Pet Travel Department, or if you’d like to help KAR continue in its efforts to give the animals of Northern Cyprus a better life, then click here to find out how you can help!