Petition calls for neutering campaign

The Hakuna Matata Animal Education Project is collecting signatures for a petition calling for a national mandatory animal spay or neuter campaign.

More than 2,000 signatures have already been collected and are being presented in batches of 1,000 to Environment Minister George Pullicino.

The petition says that Malta has an overpopulation of suffering stray animals compelled to roam the streets, hungry, thirsty and sick. Some were also abused by a frustrated public who viewed them as a nuisance or a danger, when their behaviour was only the result of human abandonment and neglect. 

"With no control on breeding, strays are creating strays and suffering begets suffering. These animals are innocent victims of selfish people who view them as a disposable item. They give no thought to the animal or endangerment to the public when they abandon the frightened animal."

The petition calls for immediate government intervention to help alleviate the suffering of these abandoned animals and to bring about an end to over breeding through a national mandatory spay/neuter policy.

It proposes that the government should fund a project that would offer financial assistance to the public toward spaying or neutering.

"We suggest vets offer, or be granted aid, to lower their rates for a period of time each year. A 'neuter a pet month' campaign, should be promoted annually, with special rates during that period."

Hakuna Matata said animal sanctuaries were full to overflowing, did not receive government funding, and due to a lack of appropriate shelters many animals were left to a harsh survival of life on the streets.

These were the most vulnerable, and immediate steps should be taken to provide appropriate shelter for their long-term care. 

The petition also called for punishment for those who abandoned animals and government funding for animal welfare projects.

Director Fiona Brennan said Hakuna Matata was in the process of buying seven tumoli of land at Rabat to transform into an animal sanctuary.

Although it has been using this land for a year and 15 dogs are being housed there, the organisation is restricted and cannot increase the number of dogs before it puts up fencing all around the place to prevent the dogs from being a nuisance to the surrounding farmers.

She said that the project's primary focus was on animal welfare education through practical experience, the animals in the organisation's care being the principal educators.

Although the sanctuary was currently only taking school trips, next year it will be ready to start taking families.

During visits, families or schoolchildren could donate food and spend time with the animals without having to take them home.

The organisation's plan was to have a bed and breakfast on the site by 2006 to fund the sanctuary. Ms Brennan said the Hakuna Matata Animal Education Project came into being following the torture and death of a stray dog at the hands of too youths in 2001.

She had helplessly watched the dog suffer a long and tortuous death and it was two long before help arrived.

Ms Brennan said that like many in Malta she was outraged and called for a legislation reform to protect animal rights and for education on animal welfare to be introduced to the schools. 

She said that although the law was changed, the situation did not seem to be any different and animal cruelty continued on a daily basis.

Although there are currently only dogs at the sanctuary, Ms Brennan hoped that in time the place would also be a safe haven for larger animals including horses and goats.

She expressed her disappointment that although the first batch of petition signatures were sent to Minister Pullicino in April, the organisations did not even receive an acknowledgment.

She said that there has been a lot of lip service but little action has been taken, and it was time to sit down and plan a programme of action.

People wishing to sponsor one of Hakuna Matata's dogs can send an e-mail to hakunamatatamalta@ hotmail.com.  A sponsorship of Lm12 a year will go towards the veterinary bills of the animals in the organisation's care. 

Sponsors will receive a monthly update on their chosen animal by e-mail and are welcome to visit them at the sanctuary and take them for walks in the country surrounding the sanctuary.

www.hakunamatatamalta.org