Of animal welfare

I would like to pose a series of questions on animal welfare to Environment Minister George Pullicino:

Is animal welfare still so low on the government's agenda?

Does the government escape the topic of animal welfare so readily?

Was the Animal Welfare council set up?

Are pet owners still allowed to keep their pets in the confines of their small balconies with no shelter from sun or rain and no space to move around?

Are pet owners still allowed to restrict their pets to living a life in a garage or on a roof where the pet has no chance to interact, know it is alive or develop to its full potential?

Is there no clear and effective course of action and solution if one wants to report an animal suffering ill-treatment?

Are penalties for animal cruelty still so lenient?

Is there still no national neutering campaign for strays?

Has the government not yet offered support to animal sanctuaries?

Is a fund-raising event in support of animal welfare still not considered to be a philanthropic cause?

Doesn't the Department of Veterinary Services accept to train and certify animal welfare volunteers as animal first-aiders?

Doesn't the government encourage the unemployed, housewives/husbands and the elderly to work in animal welfare?

Doesn't the government subsidise part of the cost of medicinals and perhaps even other services for animals at sanctuaries?

Is there still no talk of a 24-hour care centre for animals?

Has the government not yet issued standards for registered animal shelters?

Is the only animal shelter that receives funds from the government the shelter that euthanises healthy, docile animals? Are the managers of this shelter doing enough on the re-homing front to avoid that these innocent animals get killed?

Are veterinary surgeons allowed to euthanise animals in good health and with no aggressive track record?

Doesn't the government restrict the breeding of pedigree cats and dogs?

Is there still not widespread educational campaign on micro-chipping, neutering and vaccinating?

Has the government not yet embarked on a campaign discouraging the ill-treatment of animals and making it known that animal abuse is a criminal act?