Six dogs start a new life in Austria

Dog's life? Think again.

Six dogs found roaming the streets and picked up by the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA) were yesterday flown to a large care centre in Austria where fresh attempts will be made to find them a new home.

Freddie, Romina, Anthea, Jutta, Victoria and Theresa, named after their carers at the AAA, are crossbreeds aged between four and 30 months. They have lived much of their life at the sanctuary in Luqa.

Their new home will be at Gnadenhof, a 55,000 sq metre animal sanctuary near Salzburg which houses dogs, cats, birds, a zebra, a camel and an anaconda. The complex, which features a number of ponds and a river, usually takes into its care animals which would have been maltreated such as at circuses and zoos.

The connection with Malta started a few months ago when one of the Austrian carers visited the island on holiday and saw the situation of stray animals here. On going back home she spoke with the owner of the sanctuary who came to Malta to see if she could help.

Gnadenhof's owner visited the AAA and made arrangements with Freddie Fenech, who runs the centre, for some of the Maltese dogs to be transferred to Austria.

The Austrian sanctuary will try to find a new home for the six dogs flown from Malta yesterday. The Austrian sanctuary also intends taking over the care of 15 dogs with disabilities which the AAA is currently housing.

All costs related to the transfer of the dogs, some Lm400 per dog, are being shouldered by the Austrian sanctuary - which also supports a charitable organisation in Eastern countries for the welfare of children and animals.

People who would like to make donations to go towards the transfer of more dogs to Gnadenhof can contact Mr Fenech on 9946 4888.

The AAA has 350 dogs and 90 cats.

www.aaamalta.com
www.gnadenhof.at.tt