Joe Avellino, Malta Kennel Club, Msida
Unwanted pets are the problem
With reference to the sad story of stray dogs and cats in Swieqi (The Sunday Times April 5), we cannot continue to ignore the fact that the community of stray dogs and cats in Malta originates from unwanted pets in households that are thrown out into the streets from the very homes in which they were brought up.
The Maltese are seen to be warm and welcoming by tourists but, sadly enough, this is not extended to our four-legged friends.
Education and regulation are needed. It is important that every potential owner of a dog or cat should make time to learn the temperament and characteristics of the pet they have chosen, and also consider their availability.
The Malta Kennel Club offers free advice on the various breeds of dogs, and the duties and responsibilities of a dog owner.
You may contact the club on 2134 3524 and 2133 1936 or info@maltakennelclub.org or visit the website www.maltakennelclub.org.
Regulation on ownership and identification of pets needs to be more rigorously controlled. One form of identification is the use of the microchip, which identifies dogs and cats and can thus trace them to their registered owners.
The Malta Kennel Club is promoting the use of the microchip on locally bred dogs and in 2010 will request the compulsory use of microchips on dogs that will be exhibited in its shows.
More importantly, the monitoring of pets in households still needs attention. Disposing of pets in our streets is easy and carries no negative consequences, considering that the numbers increase every year. On this issue the club notes with regret that Malta's freedom of movement in relation to dogs and cats exceeds EU regulations where imports are concerned. We then turn a blind eye to the freedom of movement of our pets from their homes to the streets.
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Franco Farrugia
Apr 20th 2009, 15:25
@ Mr Vella Bardon - Thank you for your contribution. Much appreciated. The idea I am trying to put forward is that in the context of the Maltese situation, where we have such a high number of strays, and since I am of the belief that we must not conduct any culling, and since we have only a few animal sanctuaries that are full, we should put a moratorium on breeding so that people would be more tempted to adopt a pet from the sanctuary and not spend all that money to buy a pure-breed in order to look good when we take it out for walkies - niffanfraw, bil-Malti! Do you think that I don't like seeing pure-breeds? But I have two feral cats of my own, and with good food and with lots of LTC, these two cats become as beautiful as any pure-breed you can think of. The same applies to the stray cats that I look after. I have been to TOMMASINA, ably run by Mr Serracino Inglott and his helpers. You can see for yourself how absolutely beautiful the cat are, over there! With all due respect, I suspect that my suggestions are more realistic!
Mark Vella Bardon
Apr 19th 2009, 23:20
Eureka Mr. Avellino ... I can see no other reason for dogs being thrown out with impunity! IT IS AGAINST THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT OF 2001 TO ABANDON OR KILL AN ANIMAL. Pedigree dogs are abanoned in large numbers. I have made public appeals to have all dogs registered by microchip, ony then can the law be enforced. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t96pagM1W2k ) I have written to both the Malta Kennel Club and the Malta Canine Society to make microchip registration mandatory for the issuing of pedigree certificates. but got no acknowledgement from either club.
Re: microchip ID will be necessary to SHOW a dog in 2010 !!! I am hopeful that if the authorities do not drag their feet (an unfortunate but common practice) ALL DOGS WILL BE REGISTERED BY MICROCHIP IN 2010.
Franco Farrugia is always well meaning and an avid animal lover. However I must point out that his suggestions are unrealistic.
We cannot but accept the beauty of most pedigree dogs. What deserves condemnation is irresponsible and regular breeding simply for financial gain and also the ridiculous show standards which enhance and exacerbate health problems (one of the reasons the BBC boycotted Crufts this year)
Franco Farrugia
Apr 19th 2009, 16:09
I agree with this letter, in general.
However, the Malta Kennel Club would do well to encourage breeders to stop breeding, and for the general public to adopt more strays. In this manner, there will be less strays in the streets because vacancies would be created at the sanctuaries through said adoptions.
The Malta Kennel Club could help in an infinite manner by organising ONLY dog shows where non-pedigrees take part.
The Club could help by, for example, starting an education campaign according to season: eg. as summer is approaching, a campaign for households to keep fresh water in containers outside; around December, a campaign against the giving of animals as presents, etc ...
I wholeheartely support the Club in its quest to curb importation of animals into the country, but only insofar as the intention is not to satisfy Maltese breeders from selling their 'produce'.
I believe that there is far too much importation of animals and I am of the belief that in general, ANIMALS ARE NOT FOR SALE!