Sunday, 9th November 2008
Inmates raising money for jailed dog lover
Rennie Scicluna
Inmates are raising money to bail out animal lover Rennie Scicluna, who landed in jail after he failed to pay fines for keeping dogs at a makeshift sanctuary in Baħar iċ-Cagħaq.
Mr Scicluna was imprisoned on Wednesday for 26 days as he could not afford to pay the €320 fine. Unless his helpers collect enough money, he may be there longer because he has another pending fine of €600.
"I shouldn't be here... I'm hoping to be able to get out before, if enough money is raised... even the inmates are helping me," he said, when contacted in prison yesterday.
Mr Scicluna's story goes back a few years. Unable to see sick or abandoned animals on the streets, he began to pick them up, housing them at the former Palm Beach Restaurant, now a derelict building in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.
The number of dogs started increasing and so did the complaints from residents, who lived just metres away and could no longer tolerate the incessant barking 24 hours a day, or the fact the place had turned into a slum.
Residents' grievances reached the authorities' ears and Mr Scicluna was threatened with eviction. In 2006, Joan Baker, a retired English lady with a big heart, intervened to help Mr Scicluna.
She roped in Noah's Ark, an animal welfare organisation in Mellieħa, and together they re-homed some 40 dogs, relieving Mr Scicluna of his burden and getting the authorities off his back.
The situation improved temporarily, but in the past year, unable to helplessly watch injured animals on the street, Mr Scicluna began to collect the strays, taking them back to the old compound in Baħar iċ-Cagħaq.
Maria Jenkins, his stalwart helper, said it was not the first time he had gone to the sanctuary and found abandoned dogs tied to the gates: "What should we do with these cases, put them down?
"I've been doing my utmost to control the dog population in Baħar iċ-Cagħaq and we are close to finalising on alternative premises. But in the meantime, what are we supposed to do?" said the 26-year-old, who has spent all her savings on helping these discarded creatures.
"Even police call us to collect strays off the streets. We're too kind to just sit there and do nothing."
Faced with pending fines and unable to pay them, Mr Scicluna was thrown in jail. An e-mail is now being circulated by his supporters who are claiming the authorities have abdicated their responsibilities.
However, animal organisations are not surprised that Mr Scicluna landed in jail, even though they are sorry to see him in such a spot.
"Rennie's heart is in the right place, but he doesn't have the know-how or the resources. He could not look after the animals properly and he kept big dogs with the smaller ones. We tried to help, but after a while we gave up," said Brenda Swift, president and co-founder of Share Malta (Support for Homeless Animals, Research and Education).
"Hoarding is a form of animal cruelty... Rennie should focus his energies on dog training, not running a sanctuary," she added.
Noah's Ark founder Fabio Ciappara said he too had tried to help in the past, by taking in around 40 of his dogs when he was forced to move out from Baħar iċ-Cagħaq, but "Rennie has gone back to square one".
SPCA Malta president Barbara Cassar Torreggiani also tried to help. "We've gone along with our advice and bags of food, but he wouldn't listen - he never knew when to stop picking up strays.
"Sadly, the condition his animals were in was not good enough. It's not Rennie's fault because we're all chock-a-block and he probably found doors closed, so you cannot really blame him for taking them in," she said.
Ms Cassar Torreggiani said that for years animal welfare was low on the agenda, which explained the mess everybody had found themselves in - it was a vicious circle and Mr Scicluna had got caught up in it.
"We are now all working together to raise standards of animal welfare and hope one day there could be some kind of set-up which Rennie could work in."
However, Ms Jenkins strongly contested the organisations' remarks that the animals were being kept in terrible conditions at Baħar iċ-Cagħaq.
"We take in the worst cases and spend hundreds on vet bills and medication trying to treat them. We collect the dogs nobody wants to take in. People may think they're in that state because we're maltreating them, but we're not - we took them in like that," she insisted.
SOS Animals and the St Francis Foundation came out in support of Mr Scicluna and Ms Jenkins, saying they were the only ones who went to collect the animals when people called for help.
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Comments
Law must be respected? why dont the authorities do their duty and take care of stray animals. What does the EU says about animal welfare. As a EU member, don't animals have a right to be taken care of?
When are we going to see those harming the animals, beating them, throwing them out on the streets, putting them in fights, and so on and so forth, being jailed as well?!
I know Rennie personally as he trained my dog. 2 of his 3 kids sleep in a bunk bed in the corridor because their house is too small and as yet his lovely wife invites you in to their dingy little kitchen with a big smile and offers you whatever they have, which is not much. Shame on all who assisted in this, including the residents of bahar ic caghaq!!!
Well done to the authorities....why don't we now arrest the sisters at the Buon Pastur in Balzan....residents there are fed up too you know!!!!
This is unbelievable !!! Shame !!!
You are a tiny bit exaggerating Jo.
Perhaps you meant the number to represent those who take good care of their dogs and not throw them out when they get fed up with them.
The question which should be asked is how many persons have been sent to prison for abandoning their animals. How many have been jailed for keeping animals for dog fighting. or for savage treatment of their animals. What are the governments subvention to support its obligations towards animal welfare.
In the absence of alternative civil animal support structures Mr Scicluna had a moral and ethical duty to do the best he could for such stray animals even if it fell short of professional care..
However the is a typical situation in Malta. Hard on minor transgressions soft with those corrupting society.
Consider how many of you have been fined for parking a few centimetres beyond the marked lines . Did you see any of the road daredevils who put your life at risk today being booked.
Officialdom is excellent at throwing its weight at soft targets.
We all should be ashamed.
The law must be respected.
the government should help this man for taking care of animals and not jail him. if he has a bank account let us put all try to help him even with just a small drop
This man was making a huge sacrifice by taking stray dogs in poor state to feed and take care of, and because he did not ‘humanely put them down’ he is the culprit! From when did we start fining and imprisoning someone that has the heart and does not refuse animals in poor state of health?
Why should he be punished because many have and are still maltreating pets and then when fed up by them releasing them in the streets? So maltreating pets and killing them in a ‘humane’ way is acceptable by this catholic country, but taking care of strays is punished by fines and imprisonment. What a farce!
What should he do if he finds dogs tied to his gate? What should he do if police call him to collect strays? It seems that the only option that Rennie is left with in this supposed ‘catholic country’ is putting these poor dogs down in a ‘humane’ way.
I suggest that Maria set up a bank account where those willing to help can donate money. I’m sure that many will contribute to help bail Rennie out and collect money for the sanctuary.
I will gladly lead the first two dogs to volunteer!
The souless authorities should :
1. Get Rennie out of prision at once
2. Instead of pretending that he or others fork out monies to them, they should pay Rennie themselves for he can deliver more than they ever can.
It is unbelievable that we have reached such a state!
How absolutely disgusting.
And what about the so-called animal hospital supposedly to be built in Ta' Qali? Even this is a farce. First, it was meant to be a hospital Then, the PM himself told children laughingly that it wouldn't be a real hospital, but just an after-care / respite animal centre.
And the next time we will be hearing about it is in four years' time. Mark my words.
Disgusting. Shameful.
The ombudsman condemned the authorities for killing eleven healthy dogs under my care, but the vet was not punished.
Even worse, this government gave a presidential pardon to the drug traffiker Queiroz, but has the cheek to send people like Rennie to prison just for having a VERY BIG HEART to answer all emergency rescue call and not leave dogs and cats suffering after they have been neglected by their owners.
With regards to the animal hospital and many other animal welfare things promised by this government, I believe it when I see it.
Animal Sanctuaries should speak up and help Rennie and not condemn him, because he never says I have no room for an injured dog or I have not enough volunteers. With the money given by the EU the government succeeded to divide animal sanctuaries between themselves.
I urge everyone to give his contribution in order that we may see Mr. Scicluna back in caring for these unwanted dogs.
Shame on those concerned !
This story serves to expose the sorry state of the legal system (can't call it "justice") in Malta.
I do not blame the law courts or the residents but I do blame the whole Maltese society since we live in a democratic country and the government reflects the will and priorities including mentality of the majority who voted for him.
It is a shame that Mr. Scicluna ended up like the "Mandela" of Maltese stray dogs.
Oh i forgot - he's too busy switching off light bulbs in the streets to make motorists' life more difficult!
I hate to see even €1 going into govt’s pockets through any fine imposed on Rennie, when govt. itself is so spendthrift and is very generous when some blokes have been contracted, as also allows utter lack of control in public revenue. We also have presidential pardons and ministerial direct interventions in cases of tax evasion running into thousands – so that some guys pay a pittance – but Rennie’s place is in prison – to safeguard society one presumes!
Get Rennie out of prison and give him enough resources to direct his energies and commitment to care for our four-legged companions, who we have mistreated time and again, and who we continuously sideline in our egoistic self-centred existence.
Shame on all concerned for every minute that this abusive action persists.
Government has ignored animals' plight – both those on the streets as well those ‘passing’ through government’s own institutions. Government pronouncements about animal welfare are cheap talk – synonymous with the political class and ministers we are currently lumped with. Rennie has dedicated his time and money to alleviate the sufferings of these strays – as best as he could – albeit not good enough, but what’s the alternative?
What happened to the dogs that Rennie sheltered? Where they put down after being ‘rescued’ by the authorities? How very convenient for our know-it-all Government!
What principles have Police and Court adopted to imprison Rennie? Anywhere near the paltry fines where individuals have been found to have intentionally tortured animals or the sub-standards tolerated at govt slaughterhouse? Courts have lost all credibility long ago – but now they have reached new lows! Sure our police are oblivious of organised dog/cock fights – or more exactly ensure they steer away from getting to know about them!
SORRY BUT THE WAY CASES LIKE THESE ARE TACKLED MAKE ME FEEL ASHAMED TO BE MALTESE!