TMI: Animal welfare

I am very grateful that Mario Spiteri (TMID, 16 March) has given us details about his remit and his work in favour of animals. Reading his letter, I was pleased to see that there were points with which I completely agree.

However, there are still many points I wish to raise. My aim is to help enhance a better recognition of what it entails to look after stray animals. In this spirit, Dr Spiteri should be grateful there are people who are interested in animal welfare, and should therefore not take dubious stands such as by crying “sensational” whenever those with animals at heart speak out. After all, officials paid by the public coffers should have just that little bit more respect when it comes to replying to questions from the public.

Let us put all cards on the table: one of the most important points raised is the distinction he makes between sanctuaries that are “officially recognised” and those that are not. The claim is that there are individuals who are “hoarding” animals in disgusting situations; and that there are individuals who are making use of animals in order to raise money from “gullible people”. Well, some questions arise here:

How difficult or easy are we making it for all sanctuaries to be officially recognised?

Isn’t it better to get all interested parties on board, as it were, rather than closing them down or sending them to prison?

Can Dr Spiteri give us a list of the officially recognised sanctuaries?

At the end of the day, all animals in all sanctuaries are deserving of food and looking after. Now, I am told that one of the problems keeping these unofficial sanctuaries from being officially recognised is related to financial administration. I agree that badly administered sanctuaries create doubt, and rightly so, too. But equally true is the fact that not everyone can afford to be organised, especially under-staffed and heavily-crowded sanctuaries.

So, can the government offer the services of one roving accountant to help these sanctuaries to pull up their socks as regards financial administration and hence, become “officially recognised”?

Individuals making use of animals to get money are also mentioned. But who is “gullible” today? I, for one, give a lot of help to homes for dogs, but always in the form of dog food! Get the drift? So, can’t we help these individuals of doubtful reputation – who, I agree, do exist! – by offering animal food rather than money?

I agree with Dr Spiteri that dogs in packs are very dangerous and they should be given top priority by his department – but the solution is not to kill them automatically. Killing animals must always be considered as the very last resort, in finding a solution to dangerous dogs.

Dr Spiteri claims that he now works with “a small team of dedicated staff”.

Can he tell us exactly the number of his team?

And from where his “staff” was seconded, the qualifications each one has, and why they were chosen to be in this “team”?

Dr Spiteri says: “Last year we embarked on a national neutering campaign and over e174,000 were spent to neuter some 1,500 stray and sanctuaries’ dogs and cats.” That amounts to e116 for each neutering operation. I often go to a vet with animals for neutering – and with my own money! And this amount of e116 does not tally with the price of a normal neutering operation.

He speaks about “people with a phobia of dogs”.

What educational campaigns are organised by his department to educate people in this matter, as with the many other matters that he speaks about in his letter and which are, by and large, justly pointed out?

Dr Spiteri expresses himself as against providing more space in sanctuaries. But the reality is that in the first place, there isn’t enough space in sanctuaries – the space provided up to now is run by individuals and heaven help us should such individuals not be around any more, or that something happens to them.

What will the country do, then? Has Dr Spiteri’s “department” any contingency plans in such situations? How will they be making up for the likely sudden disappearance of these key people? Create a piazza pulita, which is the easiest way out?

He speaks about the Animal After Care Centre in Ta’ Qali: I certainly don’t wish to rubbish this extremely important amenity in animal welfare, but I will believe it when I see it up and running. Do we know who is going to be responsible for this centre? Do we now how this centre is going to be run? Do we have any idea when this centre is going to start being used? (As opposed to being officially inaugurated!)

He claims that this centre “is one of its kind in Malta”. Of course it would be! But look for how long it has been promised!

“What remains is the urgent need for all NGOs working for the welfare of animals to form an effective coalition and pool in resources.” I cannot agree more, and such animal associations should be absolutely ashamed of themselves that they cannot, or will not, come under one umbrella, keeping their own “identity” yet continue to work separately from any government department.

It is not a Dog’s Act that we need but a new Animal Welfare Act which incorporates the introduction of a Commissioner for Animals, distinct from the government, and reporting directly to Parliament. And no act can be discussed without a proper discussion with all partners involved, especially true animal lovers.

In conclusion, I still believe, and I still maintain, indeed, that animal welfare in this country is not being dealt with seriously. Indeed, with all respect to everyone concerned, animal welfare is not in the hands of the right people. I am not personally referring to Dr Spiteri – I am referring to the fact that animal welfare must not be in the hands of any government department. People know me: people know I have no malice and have no axes to grind, and they know how much I love animals and am, on the other hand, practical. I do not use animal issues to hit at this person or that, whether political party or individuals; I am “crazy” about animals and I assure one and all that I will continue to bring the problems and the horrors of animal welfare in Malta and Gozo to the attention of the public.

Daphne Caruana Galizia ... or rather, Cruella de Vil (101 Dalmations).

Daphne's feelings for animals are now there for all to read. She reminds me of CRUELLA DE VIL in 101 Dalmations ...I am here reproducing some 'words of wisdom', along with those of some other poor souls who take part in her way of crushing each person and everything that picks her fancy.

Words of wisdom.
By Cruella de Vil et al.

CDV: I disapprove of shelters on principle and believe that dogs which cannot be homed should be put down, rather than being kept in concentration camps by well-meaning people who are projecting their own anthropomorphic sentiments onto them.

CDV: If he [Freddie Fenech] had no intention of caring for those kittens, he should have done the decent thing and whacked them over the head or drowned them in a bucket of water.

A.Attard: Any non-microchipped animal found roaming the streets is put down immediately.

A.Attard: The licence fee would be to finance the registry and the culling of strays.

A. Attard: I agree fully that strays should be put down. I would consider all non-microchipped animals as strays and put them down.

Amanda Mallia: Hopefully, … Freddie Fenech and his playpen (yes, children’s playpen) housing puppies will no longer be an eyesore near on the front near Fortizza / Ferro Bay on summer evenings.

Cruella de Vil on kittens:
It's much more humane to whack them over the head or drown them.
(About CDV’s solutions to terminating animal life): They're not my solutions and they're not barbaric. Humans kill animals, for food or for other reasons. You just have to find the quickest, cleanest way to do it, and with newborn kittens, it's a few seconds in a bucket of water or a one-second whack over the head.

I'm going to repeat what I said: yes, for newborn kittens it [drowning kittens after whacking them on the head] is by far the most efficient solution, which is why people do it all the time. If there weren't so many squeamish people around there would be fewer abandoned kittens: people don't want the hassle of taking a day off to queue at the vet and then paying to have six kittens 'put down', but they've been taught that a bucket of water is 'barbaric' and that putting them in a skip is somehow more acceptable.

CDV: About animal death: All death is cruel. You just have to find the least cruel way out. I'm not a vegetarian.

CDV: About killing animals leading to arrest: No because murder applies only to humans.

CDV: An injured stray should just be put down. There is no point in being sentimental. Pets are saved not because they have an intrinsic 'right to life' but because their owners love them and want them saved. Dogs have as much right to life as the cows you eat.

CDV: People in Malta are cruel to animals because our general civic and ethical awareness remains undeveloped. Our cruelty to animals is just part of a much wider and deeper problem: cruelty to children, to spouses, to colleagues, indifference to others, lack of consideration, overbearing selfishness, and grabbing and thieving. To sort out our attitude to animals, you must first sort out our attitude towards life. That is going to take some doing.

CDV: Animals do not need 'second chances'. They are animals, not humans.

CDV: I'm beginning to think that more harm is done to animals by people thinking of them in human terms than by people who treat them like animals. I reiterate my considered belief, based on 20 years of keeping dogs (FF: I pity those dogs of hers – sorry, couldn’t help that one!), that dogs are better off dead than kept packed into a compound. Dogs, as a rule, do not like other dogs. They prefer human company, though they will sometimes form a strong bond with just one other dog, not necessarily of the opposite sex but usually of the same sex.

TMI letter today, 02 04 2009.

Stop animal cruelty
by Franco Farrugia


Words cannot express what many people felt after reading the news about the horrendous find at Tal-Ferha, Gharghur. It was reported that Freddie Fenech, accompanied by police officers, following an anonymous tip, found a situation which cannot be described in words: live, terrorised and starving puppies as well as skeletons and remains of other animals.

We must stop animal cruelty in Malta. We have to say enough to this black and sordid part of our ‘national identity’.

We need proper legislation and we need proper officials who are crazy about animals and who would feel it their duty to protect animals – especially those that are in a vulnerable situation, such as strays.

We need an Animal Welfare Commissioner who would work completely independent of any governmental department, and who would only be answerable to Parliament. As we have a Commissioner for Data Protection and for Children and for other things, we also need one for animals – for, after all, these need protection as much as children do.

If you prick a child with a needle, it is described as abuse, and rightly, too. But if you prick an animal with the same needle, those same people who previously screamed abuse will look away and say nothing.

It is not right to adopt policies that go against the very welfare of animals. We need policies in Malta that protect and defend these defenseless animals. We need policies that are there to fight the perpetrators – the irresponsible and often cruel human ‘owner’ – and not policies or laws that directly or indirectly go against the beings that we are out to protect and defend. Or, what’s worse, laws that go for those who, albeit rather in a dubious fashion, try to do their best to take strays off the streets and go to prison for it, as we have recently witnessed!

Officers in animal welfare must fall over themselves in their anxiety to protect animals – if they are not prepared to do this, they should move aside and allow others to take their place.

And what about the veterinarians in our country? Where are they? Are they ever heard speaking out against animal cruelty? Do we hear their voices as they defend their very clients?

We must do everything in our power to support animal sanctuaries and associations. Local councils also must help in this matter, and put their money where their mouth is, and financially aid, even if in a modest manner, these sanctuaries, which are generally manned by a handful of volunteers that often dig their hands into their pockets when there are no resources left in the sanctuary they work in.

We must also control breeding taking place in Malta. The authorities would do well to clamp down on this business-of-sorts. It is true that there are a few honest and conscientious breeders; however, people must be made aware that in ‘buying’ a pedigree animal, they are wasting their money as well as making it difficult for more strays to be adopted, homed and put in a sanctuary for their own safety.

And what about a cheap manner of identifying all animals in this country? What about a cheap manner of forcing all ‘owners’ to have their pets micro-chipped?

As for those who claim that our country is at the moment froth with problems such as illegal immigration, hidden poverty and social malaise, well, this is no excuse for us all, as a people, as a State, to relinquish our responsibilities towards defenseless and vulnerable beings.

Please, do not look away. We have been doing this for so long.

No more Tal-Ferha atrocities!!! Let us pull the same rope. Our animals deserve nothing less.