Bernardette Galea, Jessica Manfrè, BrendaVella, St Clare College, Pembroke
A concerted effort to stop cruelty to animals
We have recently been reading and hearing a lot in the media about cruelty and neglect of domestic animals. Reflecting about a recent incident we read in the local newspapers, we asked ourselves how a human being could possibly be so cruel towards such loving creatures. We felt pain and anger imagining the sufferings that these poor animals had to go through without any hope of being saved and freed. We believe that these animals feel sad, sick, afraid, cold, hungry, lonely and willing to live. Is it fair to treat them like this?
Following the incidents, a forum was organised at our school, St Clare College, Girls Secondary School. From the discussion we have come to the following conclusions: Persons who know about such incidents should make an extra effort and report these incidents to the local police, inform the local council and make a report to organisations promoting animal welfare. They should also talk about the subject with a trusted friend or family member and with any animal lovers at school or at work.
Who should take the responsibility to stop cruelty to animals? Animal owners should think and plan well before adopting animals. However, who should take care of animals whose owners die? Do we have enough animal homes? Do they have enough funds? What happens when an animal owner is caught abusing his animal? Is he fined? Does the money go to these voluntary organisations to maintain abandoned and abused animals?
Persons treating animals badly should be punished for their actions and fined. The money should go to animal voluntary organisations.
These people should also be sentenced to do voluntary work with animal shelters, to be helped to feel real love towards these animals.
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Charles Grixti
Jul 8th 2009, 23:39
@ Gerry Cowie
Au contraire, I read you loud and clear.
If there is any spin at all, it is by you sir, how you manage to twist everything to suit your agenda.
If you wish to draw parallels, there is no contest when you consider the orchestrated and sustained campaign by the Church against abortion, which is way out of proportion when compared to frightful cruelties perpetrated around the world on already born human beings and animals.
Where is the campaign by the Church for example, to give women and girls equal rights? This is not even practices within the Church itself. Or the Church’s campaign for the rights of minorities such as gays or the exploited workers in China and South America and the Far East? Or the Church’s campaign against Wars or corruption in Government, or the abuse of children by their own clergy? When was the last time that the Pope or Bishop talked about the rights and treatment of animals? Now draw your parallels.
But, by your own admission, you have said that animals are better than humans, as they did not invent war and torture, but man did. I totally agree with you here.
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Jul 8th 2009, 12:25
@Gerry Cowie
The subject was animal cruelty and you quickly turned it into a soapbox for anti-abortion rhetoric.
Give it a break.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 7th 2009, 20:44
@ Mr Cowie - I, too, took exception to your first comment, but unlike others, chose to ignore you. However, you are wrong in what you say. You are in error and you are mistaken - the problem with regard to animal-cruelty in every country but even in Malta is the fact that we have people who reason the way that YOU do: that animals do not have as much rights as human-beings do. And from this argument stem all the ills and woes of the animal-kingdom in our supposedly developed society. Just consider this, sir: if you prick a child with a needle, blood comes out and the child cries in pain. When the same is done on an animal, blood still comes out but that animals does not cry out and does not protest, because it is powerless. Therefore, what we don't want done to ourselves, we should not do unto others, non-human animals included. Nothing less! And there, sir, I rest my case, fully aware of my failure of having convinced you.
Gerry Cowie
Jul 7th 2009, 19:57
@Mr Grixti, I always look forward to your responses to what I say. They show that you choose to ignore what suits and put your own spin on the things that have been written.
I suggest you read very carefully what I have actually said and why I have said it. Please think and read before you comment!
I point out that more fuss is made about cruelty to animals than about humans and especially the unborn. It is called drawing a parallel.
You deliberately ignore what I say about cruelty to animals and focus only on the fact that I have mentioned abortion.
My agenda is simply to ensure that human life is respected from conception to natural death. Your agenda quite clearly, from this blog, is to put animals first.
Your petty argument that saving the unborn means that they will go in to slavery is very poor. How can you suggest that will be their fate if they live? You suggest the church does not speak out against cruelty. Where is your evidence to support this outburst?
You're right that animals didn't invent torture and war - indeed us humans are responsible, even for killing their unborn!
Carmel serracino-Inglott
Jul 7th 2009, 00:19
Kurt,
Why do you go political when animals are concerned. This is not the way especially when it is not all truth what you say. Afred Sant or MLP rather started bla bla bla about the Qali shelther ( not a hospital as it is under way NOW) Therefore this government is doing something. I do not say well done finally because this hospital should have been completed ages ago say in 1972 but no nothing. Better people like you ( many , many) start devoting 2 hours per week at sanctuaries because then the able ones can increase their fund raising activities. All I know is that since we joined the EU I had tens of yopuths ( sponsored by the EU) coming over to Malta to help my society take care of hundreds of cats. Afred Sant and the MLP did noty want the EU..... I am also of the opinion that it is WE and not the Government who should defend and help helpless animals. Therefore politics well aside transefre the bla bla bla into actions. Then and only then we will start seeing results. long live cats and dogs by our help.
Charles Grixti
Jul 7th 2009, 00:13
@ Gerry Cowie
Why do you always butt in with abortion whenever cruelty to animals is mentioned? What sort of morality do you adhere to when you suggest that we can ever go overboard in protecting animals against humans who torture, abuse and kill them?
You always talk about the unborn or foetuses, never about the cruelty to children that are abused by adults or who spend their childhood working in some third-world shop chained to the floor, or the women and girls who are denied their human rights such as the right to education, food and respect of their bodily integrity. And why this fixation on human embryos, when this self-same embryo, if it is born and grows to young adulthood, can them be shipped abroad to be killed in some senseless war that is being promoted to safeguard the interests of the Establishment? No Church ever condemns these obscenities. What hypocrisy.
Yes animals should have full protection, just as much as humans if not more so, after all they are innocent, their species never invented wars or torture. It is us humans, the supposed image of God, with our over inflated egos that do these things!
Gerry Cowie
Jul 6th 2009, 20:03
Whist it is important to ensure animals in our care are not ill-treated, let us not go to the extreme as in the UK where you can get a stiffer sentence for crimes against animals than you can against people. If only the same concerns were expressed by more people in respect of the vulnerable in our society, especially the unborn, whom we allow to be suctioned out of wombs in pieces, though for some reason that is not considered as violent as hurting animals. In fact the pro abortion and pro choice lobbies consider this violence as non violence and trivialise it. By all means call for moves to prosecute people who torture, harm and mistreat animals. it is wrong. But do not let society value animals above humans. Human life is special from conception to natural death. It has already been cheapened too much. I make no apology for adding to this blog by talking about this subject as I really feel we have got our priorities wrong here. And I am certainly not suggesting that the the writer of this letter does not respect life.
T Aquilina
Jul 6th 2009, 14:40
Well done to these students. Creating greater awareness remains crucial since the effort should be employed generally and not just by the Govt, NGOs and Voluntary Associations. Educating the public especially those causing these cruelties, is a major step in the right direction to lessen the problem which is shaming, and these students are doing their bit. Good on you girls.
Kurt Mifsud
Jul 6th 2009, 13:16
I agree with you but what is the gov doing? Penalties are not severe enough. And to make it even worse many court judges have different views than ours on animals which reduces penalties even more. Why do we see less cases like this in other countries like the UK?
Lately I've seen a billboard that an animal center will be open 'soon' in Ta Qali. The plans for this center had started by Dr Alfred Sant before actually losing the 1996 election. What has been done since then? Nothing!