Husky dogs - not for Malta! (1)

I refer to the report about the rescue of the husky dog from a cliff ledge (July 4).

First of all, I would like to say that I condemn this cruel act and hope that the perpetrator may someday realise the mistake he/she made and learn to love a dog and be loved back. Secondly, some readers said that perhaps it was not a case of someone wanting to hang the dog, that perhaps the dog was on this sort of leash and that it somehow fell off the cliff. I do not think this was the case because the dog was found hanging by the neck from an approximately 30-foot rope (no dog collar was mentioned in the report) on a remote cliff ledge, having spent around three days in that state. Also, the person who tied it there, knowing the exact location, would have done something about it during that period of time. Besides, according to the report, no one has yet come forward claiming to be the owner of the dog. So, I would agree with Dr Mario Spiteri that this was indeed a case of someone wanting to hang the dog.

A reader from Canada also mentioned the fact that these husky dogs feel uncomfortable even during the Canadian summer, never mind the Maltese one. These dogs are, by nature, meant to live in the coldest environments of Siberia, Alaska and are used in expeditions to the North Pole.

That is why they have a thick, long, fur coat. Yet some Maltese people import them just the same (and at very expensive prices, by the way). How many times have we heard of people buying husky dogs and then having to keep them indoors, in air-conditioned rooms, because the heat is just unbearable for them? Are there any regulations regarding the importation of animals from different environments than ours? If not, isn't it perhaps time to do something about it?

I would like to thank the Civil Protection Department, the Animal Welfare Unit, Noah's Ark and everyone else involved in helping our voiceless friends.