Claudia Calleja
Dog lover takes abandoned puppies to police station
Dog lover Rennie Scicluna turned up at the Naxxar police station last week with six abandoned puppies in a box saying that keeping them himself would have meant breaking the law.
He found the canine orphans outside the derelict building in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq that he had transformed into a makeshift dog sanctuary about a year ago. A court order barred him from keeping strays there because the site did not have the necessary permits and was too close to people's homes. Thus, he could not take care of the puppies himself.
Mr Scicluna does not want to put down the 20 dogs he still has at the makeshift sanctuary and is incurring a daily fine of €4.65 for disobeying the court order.
"When I found the six puppies outside the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq site, I refused to let them die. However, I can't keep them because that would be in contempt of court. I'm trying to reduce the number of dogs I have without having to put them down. "So I decided to take them to the Naxxar police station, which handling my court cases, to show them that people are still dumping dogs outside my door but I'm refusing them," Mr Scicluna said.
Accompanied by his helper, Maria Jenkins, he went to the police who told him to call the SPCA animal welfare centre. Mr Scicluna said he did not want to risk that the puppies were put down and did not want their death on his conscience.
Eventually, the police called the SPCA to pick up the six puppies. Two of them were adopted as Mr Scicluna and Ms Jenkins were waiting outside the police station.
One was taken by Gudja mayor Mario Calleja, who owns about 100 dogs, and another by a woman who passed by and named her new puppy Rennie.
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.
Residents' grievances reached the authorities' ears and, in 2006, Mr Scicluna was evicted. With the help of a retired English lady, Joan Baker, and Noah's Ark, an animal welfare organisation in Mellieħa, some 40 dogs were re-homed.
Last year, unable to helplessly watch injured animals on the street, Mr Scicluna began to collect the strays again, taking them back to an old compound in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq to nurture them back to health.
The situation was back to square one. Residents started complaining again and Mr Scicluna was taken to court.
Last November, he was imprisoned for 26 days because he could not afford to pay fines amounting to €320. The public chipped in to pay the fine and spare him the jail term.
His pledge to the authorities is to be granted a piece of land where he can set up a sanctuary and care for the animals in need.
Anyone who wishes to adopt any of the puppies, or other dog orphans, can call the SPCA on 2123 4431.
14 Comments
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Jane Bannister-Grech
Mar 18th 2009, 14:56
SPCA - Dumping of pets is on the increase - many people dont neuter their animals, vaccinate or take care of them when sick. New legislation wiil be out soon to support the animal welfare NGO's and responsible pet ownership. Through education, penalties and unlimited support from the population we will be able to eradicate strays, cruelty to animals and hoarding of dogs and cats. Sanctuaries and SPCA homing centre are full - if you can give a responsible loving home to a cat or dog please contact us rather than "buying" a fashion pet.
Support note for Naxxar police - Tuesday night a police car collected a lost pet from in front of my door to return it to the distraught owner. They not only handled the situation promptly but in a charming manner. No single entity or person is responsible for abandoned animals we have on our streets. Please neuter and vaccinate your pet to give it a long and healthy life.
Sadly the puppies we collected from the Naxxar police station are suffering from Pavo which is often known as the puppies disease. In fact at the time of writing 2 have unfortunately already passed away
GiovDeMartino
Mar 17th 2009, 07:35
Ms. Ferriggi was bitten a few times by dogs. She must be VERY, VERY unlucky. How many times has she been "bitten" by humans?
maria jenkins
Mar 16th 2009, 20:34
hi friends i am maria jenkins the 1that give all my time and help the abbandend DOGS, yes i told rennie to go to the police station with the pupies so they take the responsability of the 6 babies cos for us pupies means babies.. but unfortunatly there was a surgent that when he saw him with the cretures told him in arrogant way to go out with the puppies,and when rennie refused to go out with the pupies cos as every one knows he cant take more dogs in cos of the cost,he told him so u stay here until u get out from here with the puppies,its my self called the times to help us cos its a shame that the police station of naxxar put rennie in court cos he is keeping dogs in a place next to residents,and the same police station told him to go back with the pupies.... I promise that i will keep on fighting for the best of the dogs,no matter how im tried or how pain i am suffering in my back, but i will wake up from bed every day to give them the BEST.. my num IS 99130805
Emmanuel Ebejer
Mar 16th 2009, 16:44
Mr ferriggi stated that he/she is not a pet or dog lover and that this animal love and welfare has gone too far. I find it very hard to believe that you are 'all out against animal mistreatment '.
Joseph Galea
Mar 16th 2009, 16:26
@ R. Ferriggi. You have every right not to like dogs. But you are certainly missing out on all the love a dog gives you. As I type, I can read the Mark Twain saying I have framed on my desk: "The more I meet people, the more I like my dog."
r ferriggi
Mar 16th 2009, 15:52
i admit that i am not a pet or dog lover ( i have been bitten a few times while jogging....) saying that, i do not even dream of injuring or abandoning a pet. but for such a subject to be featured as ''news'' in the Times is in my opinion,,,, a sign that animals are now being regarded as equal to humans. i think that this animal love and welfare has gone too far. especially when children are being mauled by dogs. The multitude of pets being bought and then abandoned for a whole day in houses and kennels is a shame. ONLY people who have space and time to spare and afford should keep pets, and these should be treated for what they are,,,, i.e. pets and not brought up to the status equal to a human being. dog owners need to respect other people who do not like pets, especially dogs. i repeat,,,,,, i am all out against animal mistreatment.
J. Borg
Mar 16th 2009, 15:35
I would have taken half of them to the Court Room of the "honourable" Judge who deemed it fit to jail & fine Rennie,
and the other half to the office of the likewise "honourable" Ministry who still does not lift a finger, about such factual issues of animal welfare!
Norah Abela
Mar 16th 2009, 14:16
stories like these disgust me...how can anyone abondon such beautiful animals! i cant understand whats wrong..and then we say the 'maltese' are such nice & loving people...qed nghidlek ehhhh!!!! its about time the government starts helping people like Rennie and other sanctuaries..that is wer i want my taxes to go please! oh and please, HARSHER PENALTIES FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY! Just like no one has the right to harm a person NO ONE has the right to harm animals!
a sultana
Mar 16th 2009, 12:32
neutering is the way forward
a. sciberras
Mar 16th 2009, 12:11
what happened to all the plans government had for the neutering of strays?
jonathan
Mar 16th 2009, 11:51
The Goverment and local authorties should help such people and not convict them !!
Give them funds and land and ensure they get help not get arrested and fined!!
DEB BUGEJA
Mar 16th 2009, 11:14
WHEN IS THE GOVERNMENT GOING TO HELP THESE LOVELY INNOCENT CREATURES AND HELP THE SANCTUARIES TOO? SUC H LACK OF RESPONSIBIITIES FROM THE AUTHORITIES.
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Mar 16th 2009, 11:02
Being so lucky to have 2 such loving and caring individuals, the authorities should surely see their way in granting grounds to Mr. Rennie Scicluna and Ms. Maria Jenkins, thus enabling them to care for men's best friends. Maybe MEPA should consider transferring an unutilised sponsorship which was recently withdrawn from another NGO, to these 2 individuals!!!
Robert Callus
Mar 16th 2009, 10:25
It's ironic that a man like Rennie ends up with criminal proceedings because he doesn't have the heart to leave man's best friend suffer on his own. At the same time, rarely if ever are people taken to courts and get convicted because of the illegal and sick habit of dogfighting.
The govt should give a piece of land to Rennie and his volunteer friends. They aren't asking for much, and they offer their work completely for free, giving society, animals and animal lovers a good service
Keep it up Rennie