OF COURSE, HE ANSWERED ...

... WHY NOT? AND PLEASE NOTE THE TONE OR ARROGANCE, WHICH EXISTS WITH MOST OF OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHEN HONEST, LAW-ABIDING, TAX-PAYING CITIZENS CALL THEM TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES!

Stray dogs
by Dr Mario Spiteri


I am not at all appalled by what armchair critics like Franco Farrugia have to say (TMID, 13 March) regarding the current stray dog situation in sanctuaries.

After more than a year of direct involvement with animal sanctuaries and dealing with animal welfare issues in my new role as Director for Animal Welfare Promotion I can state the facts from first hand information.

I am sure many genuine people have often felt disappointed when they turn up at the gates of some properly run dog sanctuary to hand in an abandoned dog only to be told that the sanctuary is full! My public appeal to seriously consider adopting animals from sanctuaries (TMID, 11 March) which was warped unnecessarily by Franco Farrugia (TMID 13 March), was made precisely to ease the heavy burden on sanctuaries.

The villain in this scenario is none other than that irresponsible dog/cat owner that dumps out his/her former pet very unceremoniously. For some people pets are like clothing and once the fashion goes out they are discarded away.

Tackling the stray dog situation is no easy task. My department, consisting of a team of very dedicated officers, is literally mobbed with requests from the public regarding the cats’ and other pets’ mutilations brought about by packs of stray and often uncared for and (irresponsibly) owned dogs that run amok in numerous localities in Malta.

Recently, in Swatar area there were instances where joggers or bikers were attacked.

An over-population of stray dogs and cats can also have serious adverse public health affects.

As a long term measure the department last year embarked on a national stray dog/cat neutering programme.

More than 1,500 animals were neutered at a cost of e174,000 paid in full by the department.

All sanctuaries that are registered as NGOs benefited directly from this scheme since they were paid for providing the aftercare services to the neutered animals.

Ten animal welfare organisations that are duly registered as NGOs and as such have a statute and keep audited accounts of all donations received and the expenditure incurred benefited from more than e175,000 as financial assistance.

This was given by the government specifically to improve further the operation or to launch new animal welfare initiatives.

Mr Farrugia in all his wisdom considers all this as ‘hogwash’!

However, I am willing to offer him the opportunity to join our department for a couple of days and so he can experience the true situation and then can compile a full unbiased report for your readers.

There are pseudo-animal lovers who use animals literally for their benefit or financial gain. These prey upon the unwary public who are blackmailed into giving donations to relieve the misery of abandoned animals. There are others who go to the very extreme and personify animals to the point that it becomes ridiculous if not outright insane.

I have met dog hoarders who truly and madly will rather starve themselves than see their dogs without food.

At times these keep some 50 or even more dogs in very restricted space to the detriment of neighbours and given the opportunity they keep on ‘packing’ animals like sardines even in derelict buildings or government property.

In these very dismal conditions we have often witnessed sick dogs kept in horrific conditions that putting them to sleep would be the only decent and humane option left and yet their still ‘carers’ think they are saving. In some extreme situations these dogs end up mauling each other to death.

Regarding the Animal Aftercare Centre at Ta’ Qali contrary to Mr Farrugia’s disbelief, the building is near completion and in time will function as intended for the benefit of all animals needing assistance and true animal lovers’ peace of mind.



Dr Mario Spiteri

Director

Animal Welfare Promotion

and Services

Civil Abattoir

Marsa