Dog saviour rescued from jail

Dog lover Rennie Scicluna was greeted outside the prison gates by his Alsatian named Morrison and friends on Monday, after the public raised enough money to pay off his fines and bail him out.

Sitting on a rickety chair outside City Gate, Valletta, with Morrison and his stalwart helper Maria Jenkins yesterday morning, Mr Scicluna was trying to raise more money ahead of next week's case involving pending fines of €600.

Passers-by were coming up to him asking if the fund was geared for "the dog lover's release", little realising they were speaking to Mr Scicluna himself. When it sank in, they smiled, gave their donation, and told him to keep up the good work.

The 53-year-old man had been imprisoned for 26 days last Wednesday because he could not afford to pay fines of €320 which he incurred after keeping strays in a derelict building in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq and disturbing the neighbours. Mr Scicluna's predicament was featured in The Sunday Times this week.

"I am indebted to all those who came forward to help - I would still be behind bars if it weren't for people's kindness," he said.

Ms Jenkins said enough money had been raised to pay off the debt of €320.

However, she was unable to say how much had been raised exactly, because although several had pledged donations she was still waiting to receive the money: "I never say anything until I have the money in hand".

Mr Scicluna's story goes back a few years. Unable to bear seeing sick or abandoned animals on the streets he began to pick them up, housing them at the former Palm Beach Restaurant, now an abandoned building.

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 that the place had turned into a slum.

Residents' grievances reached the authorities' ears and Mr Scicluna was threatened with evictions. In 2006, Joan Baker, a retired English lady with a big heart, intervened to rescue Mr Scicluna from his predicament. 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 calmed down temporarily but in the past year, unable to helplessly watch injured animals on the street, Mr Scicluna began to collect the strays again, taking them back to old compound in Baħar iċ-Cagħaq to nurture them back to health.

The situation was back to square one. Residents started complaining again and Mr Scicluna was taken to court because the unpaid fines kept piling up. Now back on the streets, Mr Scicluna acknowledges that he has to move out of the makeshift sanctuary but he feels that he, together with the 19 dogs, are in limbo.

"I don't wish to remain at Baħar iċ-Cagħaq because the situation will repeat itself. I just wish that somebody would give me the land where I can keep abandoned animals without being a nuisance to anybody," he said.

Mr Scicluna has been described as a saint by his supporters and an uncouth person by his critics. Animal organisations questioned the conditions he kept his animals in. However, everybody agreed that Mr Scicluna had his heart in the right place and loved dogs unconditionally. Mario Spiteri, director animal welfare promotion services, believes the vicious cycle is being perpetuated by irresponsible people who are abandoning their pets on the streets.

Dr Spiteri stressed that while he appreciated people's sympathy towards Mr Scicluna, the man had to regularise his position, like other non-governmental organisations.

"We would be in a better position to help people like Rennie once he regularised his position with audited accounts," Dr Spiteri stressed.

Mr Scicluna's story will be featured in the television programme Wara l-Każ on Sunday on One TV at 9.45 p.m.