Thanks to the Budget and the approach of general elections .... An animal-friendly TIMES editorial.

Overdue promotion of animal welfare
It is a disheartening fact that the Maltese are, generally speaking, not an animal-loving nation. Cruelty to animals is widespread and the deliberate dumping of animals leads to an uncontrollable number of strays being left to fend for themselves.
Malta has to take a stand against the brutal treatment of animals and put a stop to the blatant contempt for animal welfare laws. The country's reputation has been besmirched again and again by shocking episodes, the latest being the killing of animals at the Razzett tal-Hbiberija, the case now being before the courts.
Despite this negative scenario, there are a number of NGOs manned by very dedicated people who do their utmost to promote the welfare of animals.
At long last, the government is living up to its commitment to recognise their worthy cause and has allocated Lm150,000 to support NGOs carrying out this largely thankless and demanding task. In addition, it is also devoting Lm60,000 to setting up an animal welfare centre in Ta' Qali that will provide shelter for stray dogs. Besides serving as an aftercare centre offering animals an inpatient service, it will also boast an educational centre which includes a library and an audiovisual facility.
This is most welcome news for animal lovers. Environment and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino had a fruitful informal meeting with six animal welfare organisations, during which it was agreed that Lm75,000, half the money allocated, would be devoted to a national neutering programme.
Such a programme is long overdue as there is no other way to cope with the relentless increase of stray animals that have placed an unbearable strain on the NGOs working in this sphere. The minister has asked them to come forward with a feasible plan that can be implemented as early as possible. He also asked them to pool their resources and co-ordinate their activities.
Mr Pullicino's announcement that the new Voluntary Organisations Act will soon come into force must have boosted the NGOs' optimism even more. Such developments are a definite step in the right direction as all NGOs will have to formalise their position and be more accountable.
The proposal that a three-man body will scrutinise the spending of the government grant goes a long way to ensure that things will be carried out as professionally and effectively as possible.
There is no doubt that the committed volunteers will rise to the occasion and strive even harder to cope with the sad situation of unwanted and abandoned animals.
However, animal welfare demands much more than funds and a neutering programme. An example of this is explained so clearly by a representative of one of the animal NGOs: "The only way to discourage people from abandoning dogs is to enforce the law. It is against the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act to abandon an animal. However, unless registration and identification, preferably by microchip, of every last dog is introduced in Malta there is no possibility that the law can be enforced".
Despite laws and regulations, law enforcement leaves much to be desired and, too often, frightful cases of animal neglect and brutality go unpunished.
Trained law enforcement personnel, ideally including people with animal welfare at heart, would go a long way to stamp out this barbaric trait that scars Malta's image so badly. One hopes the government's allocation of much-needed funds for NGOs, along with its words of praise and support for them, will mark a definite and clear step towards promoting animal welfare in Malta.

One dog too many ... a life is always a life, created by God.

Abandoned injured dog

Ms Marlene Micallef, Mqabba.

Last Sunday at 1 p.m. I was driving from Gudja to Tal-Barrani Road when I saw a Springer Spaniel that had been badly hit by a car. A lady stopped her car to prevent other cars from hitting the dog as it was still alive.

Apart from myself and two others, Mario Galea, MP, and Mqabba councillor Noel Galea happened to be passing by and they stopped to give assistance.

Whoever hit the dog did not even stop. It is very hard to find somebody to help when it comes to animal emergencies, especially on a Sunday or public holiday. Although we stopped to help, we faced many difficulties. We did not know what number to call for immediate animal rescue.

Mr Galea happened to know a volunteer from the Island Sanc-tuary, who immediately came over. Luckily enough she knew a vet who could assist the dog. Dr Borg did her best to save the dog's life but it died from severe internal bleeding.

If only the driver who hit the dog took it to a vet immediately, maybe it would still be alive.

COMMENT: We shall never learn, it seems. Why should a single dog be without shelter, beats me, for starters. And there are areas, more than others, in Malta, where these stray dogs are to be found. Certainly, they will have been abandoned in that particular area and the poor dog remains there, going round in circles, hoping against hope that whoever used to take care of him or 'owned' him would come back for him. Or that dog may have been born there, and considers that his home. Whatever the reason, there are areas more prone than others where stray dogs abound.

Thankfully, the plight of this last dog, one of many in an endless lists, no doubt, brought on the attention of none other than the Nationalist MP and Parliamentary whip, Mario Galea. He did right, of course, to stand by the dog and offer his assistance.

But it should not stop there. The Nationalist Party must do MUCH MORE in order to foster an animal-friendly atmosphere here in Malta. It should include animal awareness in its electoral manifesto - as should also the MLP. Hon. Galea, do something to inspire your colleagues at the Dar Centrali to focus just a little bit on the plight of animals in our country. Amen.

Far away from our shores … in NEPAL, ….There, too, voices of dissent towards animal cruelty are rising … Inevitably, things will change. They make take time. But change, there will be. The same way that change took place in the way people thought about black slavery.

Even in Nepal, people are becoming conscious about the needless crueltly inflicted on animals before they are killed for the consumption of their meat.

A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha says that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their beating hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear apart a live goat.
He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even suggesting that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human beings too.
"Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the Nepali civilisation," he says. "Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and how does this reflect on our society?"
Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed.
"But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not just inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally wrong to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the name of religion is a sin."

Dr Shrestha should be told that in supposedly-western countries, animal cruelty also takes place in the process of animal slaughter for human consumption. I have seen videos of what happens at the Malta slaughter-house and I can vouch for the fact that animals, yes, are killed while their hearts are still beating. Certainly, in Malta, as in other countries, animals are slaughtered unceremoniously, without any dignity, with much cruelty.

About time ... that the Vets spoke out, and made themeselves heard in public!

From THE TIMES OF MALTA: Animal killing and theft

Roberto Andrea Balbo, secretary, Malta Veterinary Association, Birkirkara.

The Malta Veterinary Association would like to congratulate the police and any other people who were involved in the retrieval of the animals from Razzett tal-Hbiberija.
The MVA deplores this criminal act which brought unnecessary suffering to the animals and especially to the deer which was brutally killed. We hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice in the hope that similar incidents will be discouraged.

We also encourage the police to continue investigating the case of the dog which had its back legs sawed off in another horrific case of animal cruelty.

VERY GOOD NEWS FROM THE MALTESE COURTS!

Man fined for causing harm to animals by Valerie Fenech, di-ve news
VALLETTA, Malta (di-ve news) -- October 17, 2007 -- 1810CEST --A 31 year-old man was fined Lm1,000 by a Court on Wednesday after being found guilty of causing harm to several animals. Paul Cauchi from Zejtun was found guilty by Magistrate Dr Miriam Hayman of harming and injuring several animals after he mixed a poisonous substance to cat food. He was also found guilty of causing the death of one or more of the animals.

COMMENT: IT APPEARS THAT OUR COURTS, OUR MAGISTRATES AND JUDGES MAY BE WAKING UP, AFTER ALL!

Reaction to Razzett tal-Hbiberija letter.

Where are our priorities?
Shirley Sammut, San Gwann.
Franco Farrugia (Where Are Those Animals, October 12) began his letter by rightly claiming that we live in an "animal-unfriendly" society, where animals are not given the care and respect they, as God-given creatures, deserve. However, he then goes on to imply that the authorities at Razzett Tal-Hbiberija do not care about the animals that were lost or killed, just because they only mentioned the loss the disabled children will suffer, in their comments.
I am a very keen animal lover and I was sickened to hear about the incident at the park but we should get our priorities right. I have worked with the people at Razzett and they are a dedicated and caring group of people whose main concern is the disabled children they work with. Their immediate thoughts will obviously go to how these children will be affected by this theft and to how much of their hard-earned funds will now have to go towards buying more animals and training them as soon as possible, as well as for setting up an effective security system for the park.
Having said that, they are also animal lovers and it was definitely not easy for them to find the deer in that state, besides the shock of the robbery. They certainly did not act "as if nothing has happened" and Mr Farrugia can rest assured that no investigations are necessary to ensure that they are responsible enough to have animals under their care.
And he can also put his mind at rest that the police are doing their job well too. It seems ironic that, in the same newspaper, there was in fact a report that the police already have three people in custody in relation to the robbery. (Three men were subsequently arraigned). Well done!
Many people and organisations have turned this ugly event around by donating generously to Razzett and I invite Mr Farrugia to put his money where his mouth is and make a donation too. If the animals are replaced soon, he can then go and visit the park and see more than one deer in real life, an experience which I'm sure he'll enjoy. Can you imagine how much more joy a young disabled child will get out of it? Keep up the good work Razzett!

COMMENT: (Letter sent in answer to THE TIMES): Ms Shirley Sammut takes me to task for expressing my belief that the Razzett tal-Hbiberija authorities did not adequately show enough care for the animals that they had at the Park and which were stolen some weeks ago.

Certainly, there is no need for her to tell me where and how to donate my money. I, too, like her, have my own priorities and prefer to help animals directly in the plight they constantly find themselves, here in Malta. And certainly, I will not give money for more animals to be made captive by careless entities.

With regard to the animals at Razzett tal-Hbiberija, I not only imply, but believe, that the Razzett should have shown much more care towards their animals. This can be seen by the fact that it is only now that action is being taken to upgrade the security within the Park, as Ms Sammut herself says in her letter.

Unlike Ms Sammut, I believe that God’s creatures are equal, great and small. If human lives are precious, so are animal lives. This is where I stand.

With this in mind, I am sorry but I simply cannot agree with her priorities.

I am sorry I cannot accept Ms Sammut’s assurances that no investigations are necessary. On the contrary, the problem in Malta is that with a pathetic Animal Welfare Act, rarely any action is taken to remedy shortcomings perpetrated against animals in Malta, be it by individual or by corporate entities.

I do not dispute the fact that the Razzett tal-Hbiberija is an entity which is giving sterling service to the community. And it does so with limited financial resources. It may therefore be forced into throwing its responsibilities towards its animals into bottom gear. That, Ms Sammut, is where we simply do not agree, however much you claim to be a ‘very keen animal lover’.

MALTA BUDGET 2008 ... FOR ANIMALS.

From the Budget Speech:

Ħarsien ta’ l-Annimali
Matul din is-sena kelli l-okkażjoni li niltaqa’ ma’ numru ta’
voluntiera li jaħdmu fil-qasam tal-ħarsien ta’ l-annimali. Irrid
nirringrazzjahom għax-xogħol volontarju li jagħmlu b’tant
dedikazzjoni u impenn. Hawnhekk, nixtieq inħabbar li
qegħdin nivvutaw is-somma ta’ 150,000 lira (€349,400) biex
ngħinu lill-għaqdiet volontarji f’pajjiżna fit-tmexxija ta’
faċilitajiet fejn jinżammu annimali abbandunati. Flimkien
ma’ l-NGOs se nkunu qed nimplimentaw ukoll inizjattiva li
tikkontrolla l-ammont ta’ annimali abbandunati fit-toroq
tagħna. Issa li ġie approvat il-permess, se jinbeda wkoll ixxogħol
fuq ċentru f’Ta’ Qali li se jkun qed jiġbor fih għadd ta’
faċilitajiet moderni għall-annimali, li jinkludu after-care clinic
u boarding kennels.

The Budget was presented in Parliament yesterday.
In the budget, there is LM 150,000 voted for NGOs working for animals. An improvement over last year, certainly.
Together with NGOs the government will be taking initiatives to control the number of abandoned animals.

Now, one hopes that the money which is being devoted for NGOs working for animals will be equitably distributed, and not to just one 'animal association' only, such as the ill-reputed SPCA.

Also, one has to see what the government means with regard to initiatives to control the number of abandoned animals. Education and spaying is one thing, to kill animals on sight, is quite another.

We have to wait and see.

Aħbarijiet minn barra: l-annimali għandhom ħafna x'jgħallmu lill-bniedem ...

... u jekk aħna naħsbu li, għax nimxu fuq żewġ saqajn, niddikjaraw u niġġieldu gwerer u nfottu wieħed lill-ieħor, aħna xi razza superjuri .... allura aqraw din l-istorja:

Il-kelba golden retriever ta' seba' snin li jisimha Honey adottat ferħ ta' qattus li tħalla abbandunat ġo tyre f'post ta' kostruzzjoni.
Jimmy Martin, il-persuna li sab il-qattus, ħadu miegħu d-dar u flimkien ma' martu Kathy prova jisqi lil qattus ftit ħalib permezz ta' flixkun tat-trabi. Madanakollu l-qattus ma riedx jixrob u l-koppja beżgħu li kien ser imut, daqs li kieku tħalla abbandunat.
Kienet hawnhekk li daħlet il-kelba tal-koppja Honey, li minnufih ħadet grazzja maċ-ċkejken qattus u bdiet tħobbu kif taf hi. Wara biss jumejn, il-kelba bdiet tipproduċi l-ħalib, allavolja kien ilha madwar sena u nofs ma twelled. Il-qattus imsemmi Precious ma rrifjutax din id-darba u t-tnejn ħadu grazzja ma xulxin. Honey titratta' lil Precious daqs li kieku kien ferħ minn tagħha u 'llum il-ġurnata l-qattus tgħallem igerrem fuq l-għadam kif jagħmlu l-klieb.

Hot from www.di-ve.com : some of the Razzett tal-Hbiberija's animals have been found. Good for the Police! Now, what about the other animals?

Five of a dozen of animals stolen from ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala have been found nine days after they were taken. The barn owls, golden pheasants, a parrot and monkey were among the animals during raids at a number of properties. Three barn owls, two golden pheasants, an Amazon parrot, a rabbit and a monkey were identified by the park personnel. The four mountain goats, a young mountain goat and a baby deer were not recovered. The animals were recovered as part of an operation by police forces following a tip-off from members of the public. Three people aged 20, 24 and 30 are expected to be arraigned in court shortly. Last week, the park had reported that unknown persons had broken into the complex, killed a deer and stole 13 animals. The intruders scaled the boundary walls at the back of the park. The General Manager of the park, Mark Sultana told www.di-ve.com that the animals were used in therapy session with children with disability. He added that all donations received will not be used to replace the animals but to improve the animal interaction facilities. He said that all animals stolen were either donated to them or as in the case of the missing baby deer breed in park.

COMMENT: NOW, LET'S HOPE THAT THEY ARE REALLY GIVEN A HIDING IN COURT! AND NOT JUST A SLAP ON THEIR HANDS LIKE A NAUGHTY THREE-YEAR OLD! COME ON, JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES, SHOW US YOUR METTLE!

Animal cruelty ... at sea as well! From today's INDEPENDENT.

Some divers who came across a rare sight some time ago – a marine turtle swimming towards Comino – were faced with a sad reality as they discovered what is suspected to be the same turtle’s head, just off Mgarr harbour on Tuesday, the owners of a Xlendi-based diving school told this newspaper.The turtle was first discovered by divers at Hondoq ir-Rummien, a popular diving spot opposite the Blue Lagoon in Comino. Being an extremely rare sight, the divers stopped to watch the turtle, which was lying on the grass and begin swimming to the surface, before it started swimming towards Comino.The diving instructor who spoke to The Malta Independent said he has been diving in the area for about 12 years and never came across a turtle. Turtle numbers have declined sharply in recent years; this is one of the reasons behind jellyfish infestations, since the turtle is one of its main predators.Marine turtles are very old reptiles and all eight remaining species are experiencing serious threats to their survival. Because of this, marine turtles are protected by a number of international conventions, including some regional ones. All marine turtles recorded in Maltese marine territory are protected by local legislation. Out of these eight different species, sightings of five of them have been recorded in Malta, the most common one being the loggerhead turtle.The divers discovered the turtle again in Mgarr harbour, but this time, only the head remained as testament to this majestic animal. The owners of the diving school said blood was still fresh around the turtle’s neck and its eyes were still greasy – all indicating a recent killing. Unfortunately, when the divers went to the Mgarr police station to file a report, they were told that nothing could be done about the situation. “Even after further protest they were unable to make any progress as all they had accomplished was to have the officer in charge ‘call his superiors’, which needless to say meant that nothing would be done about it,” complained the owner of the diving school, adding that it is about time something was done about this very sorry state of affairs.

In today's THE TIMES: Does anyone out there care??????

Where are those animals?

Perhaps it shouldn't come to me as a surprise that our country, as well as the various organisations and authorities within it, is so animal-unfriendly, in words as well as in deeds.
I am referring to the latest episode of animal cruelty that has taken place - this time, at the Razzett tal-Hbiberija, where a good number of animals, many of which were exotic, were reportedly stolen.
Barely has anyone spoken out to condemn this latest act, from the animals' point of view - various bodies which are supposedly the guardians of animal well-being in our country were very conspicuous by their silence.
Animal lovers surely need to know what action has been taken and is still being taken by the police regarding this serious matter.
Furthermore, one should also investigate whether the authorities at Razzett tal-Hbiberija were responsible enough with the animals that were under their care.
It is true that it is, indeed, a pity that the young children making use of the amenities of the Razzett are now bereft of the animals that are so important for all kinds of therapy. However, I am very disgusted that the Razzett tal-Hbiberija's short comments were simply directed at the loss that the young patrons have suffered with the theft. Not a single comment was made about their worry as to where these animals are now. Or about the deer that was savagely killed.
It remains to be said, and with emphasis, in my opinion, that animals are not simply a means to an end but they are an end in themselves - they are sentient beings as much as you and I are. Hence, it is simply not enough to see that these animals are replaced as if nothing has happened.
Before any animals are used by Ir-Razzett again, its authorities have to see that there is the necessary level of security around the premises in which the animals are kept. Preferably, there should be an overnight watchman to oversee the safety of the animals.
The competent authorities must not give up on their search to retrieve the animals and to bring the culprits to justice, particularly in view of the atrocious death of one of them, a deer, a gentle and beautiful animal which I, for one, have never seen in real life.
Is there anyone out there who wonders where these animals are? Surely, in a small country like Malta, it is not easy to harbour these exotic animals in one's yard or garden, without the neighbours getting to know about it. Unless, of course, these animals are being kept in some isolated farm or garage till the hue and cry dies down.
But then, again, what hue and cry?

Read this beautiful write-up taken from today's THE TIMES.

Dog helps identify injured woman
A dog's love for its owner played a crucial role in helping the police identify an elderly woman who was found lying on the ground seriously injured in a Birkirkara street on Wednesday afternoon.
After the mishap, the dog who was accompanying the 74-year-old woman, returned to her home and stood by the front door. When this was brought to the attention of the police, neighbours helped identify the injured woman as the dog's owner, sources close to the police said.
The police had some difficulty in identifying the woman at first, that is until her dog appeared in the scene.
The sources said the police have ruled out foul play. The woman, who was found in Triq il-Qasab, Birkirkara, was still in critical condition yesterday, the police said.
Investigations revealed that the woman went to Triq il-Qasab to feed some cats accompanied by her dog, when she suddenly fell ill and collapsed, seriously injuring herself.

COMMENT: I WILL NOT SPOIL THIS STORY WITH SUPERFLUOUS COMMENTS.

The extent that Maltese hunters and trappers can reach!

BirdLife ranger shot in the face
The ranger of the Foresta 2000 site in Mellieha, Ray Vella, was shot in the face by a hunter while tending to his own field in Wied il-Mizieb, BirdLife said yesterday.Vella, a long-time member of BirdLife, has been the ranger of the Foresta 2000 site in Mellieha for the last four years personally tending to the trees, near the Red Tower where 3,000 trees were damaged by vandals last May.On Monday afternoon at 5:52pm, Vella had just arrived at his field and was tending to his land when a hunter shot in his direction from a distance of around 35 metres.“I was hit in the face in several places and shouted out in pain, making it clear to the hunter that I was hit,” said Vella.“The hunter in turn aggressively shouted back at me, swearing at me and cursing BirdLife, clearly showing that he knew who I was. He then ran off, while taunting me over his shoulder to call the Police.”Vella immediately contacted the emergency services, Police and BirdLife Malta. However, while Dr Andre Raine, BirdLife’s conservation manager, reached the site at 6:27pm, the police only got there a full one hour and three minutes after the incident.An X-ray taken of Vella revealed one lead pellet embedded in his nose, which was subsequently extracted by doctors at St Luke’s Hospital.BirdLife yesterday said Vella was lucky to have sustained light, superficial injuries. “Had the shot been a centimetre to the right he would have been shot in the eye.”Vella later rendered a full statement to the police and expressed his intention to proceed with pressing charges.“This is outrageous, appalling and unacceptable. Words do not suffice to condemn what happened to Ray and to adequately express BirdLife’s incredulity with the way that our citizens cannot enjoy their country side in safety,” said Joseph Mangion, BirdLife Malta president.“Vandalism of nature protection projects, indiscriminate killing of protected species and xenophobic messages inciting violence have become the order of the day. Political parties cannot continue to allow these barbaric acts to continue to be inflicted on the people of Malta. What does this say to our children, what morals are we teaching them? We urge all political parties to take a common stand to put an end to these criminal acts,” Mangion said.Din l-Art Helwa also condemned the criminal act and urged the government to bring the criminal to justice. In a statement, the Environment Ministry expressed solidarity with Vella, saying the attack was linked to his affiliation with BirdLife.
COMMENT: FURTHER COMMENTS ARE SUPERFLUOUS. THEN, YOU HAVE PEOPLE CLAIMING THAT TO BE A HUNTER, IN MALTA, DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE A CRIMINAL! UTTER RUBBISH! WIELDING A GUN AT BIRDS IS THE SAME AS WIELDING A GUN AT A PERSON.

More about the Razzett tal-Hbiberija animals' tragedy.

From today's THE TIMES. Ms Schiro from San Gwann writes:

Reading the newspaper on October 3 filled me with disgust to say the least. First the cowardly act of the ranger being shot at, then the barbaric nightmare that occurred at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija.
If nothing is done to curb these heartless criminals, from now on, all the Maltese will be guilty of such crimes.
The headlines should read:
We killed an innocent deer.
We shot so many birds.
We hurt so many horses.
We maltreated dogs and cats.
Shall I go on? It is truly sickening.
Most of all the angels at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija are left with a void so difficult to explain. The chain in their vital routine has been broken.
So the time has come to take action and again I ask "Why kill the deer?"

So far, there hasn't been the howl of protest from the general public as there was when hundreds of trees were vandalised near the Torri l-Ahmar on top of Mellieha Bay. I wonder why. After all, with all due respect to trees - which I love very much! - animals are sentient beings as much as us, human beings! So, why isn't there so much fuss?

It is also a pity that the management at the Razzett only spoke about how the animals' loss is going to affect their children. After all, who cares about the animals?

This having been said, one wonders what actions is being taken by the Police, if at all. After all, this is Malta - a small island where everyone knows what everyone else is doing. So, how can one possibly hide the presence of such animals as monkeys and deer, unless they are being housed in some 'lonely' farm or garage? Police should take note!

Wilful brutality against animals ... again!

fROM today's www.di-ve.com:

Thirteen animals have been stolen while another was brutally killed in a theft from the Animal Park at the Razzett tal-Hbiberija. The theft took place during the night between Sunday and Monday and was clearly a planned one, a spokesperson for Razzett tal-Hbiberija said. Three barn owls, two golden pheasants, four mountain goats and a baby, one Amazon parrot, one baby deer, one rabbit and one monkey were stolen. In all, the animals were worth around Lm1,000 (€2,329). (COMMENT: WHAT THE HELL DO WE F********* CARE ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY'RE WORTH????? THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!!!!) The thieves also brutally killed a deer while committing the crime. The direct victims of the crime are the children who benefit from the therapy programmes making use of animal interaction, the spokesperson further said whilst highlighting the sadness of all the staff at Razzett tal-Hbiberija at such an act.

COMMENT: NO WAY: THE DIRECT VICTIMS OF THE CRIME ARE THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES!

ANYWAY: I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ORGANISATIONS SHOULD KEEP ANIMALS LOCKED UP UNATTENDED!