Cypriot law enforcement agencies will set up a team to deal with cases of animal cruelty, according to amendments to the Police Law. The zoological police will undergo special training before taking up their work, CNA reports.

The zoological police will be empowered to deal with all violations of the law on the treatment of animals, not just the most egregious cases.

Cypriot MPs passed the amendments by 32 votes, with two abstentions. Commenting on the changes to the law, they noted that the move would not solve the problem as a whole, as the zoological police squad would be rather small, but was certainly an important step in the right direction.