Dogs rescued from Funny Farm

Jo Abel

Aug 14th 2009, 11:47

For those people who want to know what has happened to the dogs taken from The Funny Farm, I received news only yesterday evening, 13 August 2009, that the AAA will shortly be sending Spike (the puppy pictured) to Germany DESPITE people in Malta wanting to adopt him!?

In his letter to The Times, 31 July 2009, Mr Mario Spiteri commented, and I quote:

"This poor six-month-old puppy was famished but now HAS BEEN ADOPTED and has a very bright future ahead."

Hmmmmm???

Yasmine Montebello

Aug 2nd 2009, 12:59

two of the dogs that were taken away had sand-fly, but were being treated and recovering well. They have come a long way from the poor state they were in last year. This year both of the dogs which had sand-fly were very friendly, loving and were fed every day. Sue did not neglect these dogs that were taken away, she tried her best to make them better and she was also managing. She tries her best to save any dogs or horses which are under a threat of being put down or mistreated. It may have seemed like the Animal Welfare 'rescued' the dogs, but killing them doesnt really seem like salvation now does it? The only dog that was kept alive was the puppy in the picture. He was a very happy and cheerful dog, always jumping around in his pen when anyone went to visit him. He was given food like any other dog at the farm. People who are accusing Sue of mistreating the dogs are greatly mistaken, and must know nothing about her to accuse her of such things.

Isabella Peresso Fiorentino

Jul 31st 2009, 22:56

May I ask what has become of these dogs now? The last comment indicated that two of them have been killed. What's going on here a culling programm or what? And what about the other three? Can someone tell us what's become of these ? The public deserves to know.

francesca vincenti

Jul 31st 2009, 14:47

I have known Sue Arnett for many years, way before the Funny Farm existed. I can personally vouch for the dedication, love and personal investments made by her in order to give the best possible care to formally abused or retired horses. True the place was not supposed to house dogs but if people leave dogs outside her door, or beg for someone to take in a stray that other sanctuaries refuse to admit it or threaten to kill it if its not taken, what does one do? It is from the goodness of her heart and directly from her own pocket that she has taken care of our canine friends while former owners walk free. The few dogs found with serious illnesses such as leishmaniasis (sandfly) are not the blame of anyone. It is therefor a crying shame that individuals choose to slander or falsely accuse the good of doing bad things, simply to get back at someone who may have had good reason to ask them to leave the Farm to begin with. I have on rare occasion helped out too & only wish I had more time to do so. well done sue.

d bugeja

Jul 30th 2009, 12:44

I just can t believe that Dawn and Spike has been put down. they were in good health. It is very devastated moment for Sue and for us volunteers as we have come deeply attached to these dogs.

Putting them down is not the solution. How about financial help from the government and the public? People like Sue are doing the government a favour. These people are taking care of stray animals which were abandoned by heartless people.
It is ruthless to condemn a person like Sue who dedicates her life and fork out money from her own pocket to these animals just to make their life easier is just ruthless.

Nikki Arnett

Jul 30th 2009, 12:35

I would like to thank you all on behalf of the Arnett Family, your words have been felt, my sister sue has always had the big problem of never turning an animal away no matter how big it is. sometimes the new animals need special care so we end up taking them home or even in the case of the horses sleeping with them.
My sister is an amazing woman and i'm proud to stand by her, she is the modern day sant frances, deadicated to her animals everyday of the year since the age of 18. no one has the love she does the deadication. i thank all of our helpers they are more than helpers they are beautiful people.

L. Vassallo

Jul 30th 2009, 12:11

I am also a helper at the funny farm and I agree with some comments. I also take care of some dogs there and feed and take really good care of them them regularly every day. Sue gives her utmost with all the animals and she spend all her free time there at the Funny Farm. I think that taking care of an animal, sick or healthy, horse, cat or dog is a big deal and needs to be rewarded especially in this case sue who takes care of a lot of animals from her own free time. I Think that animals should be rescued from the streets and cruel owners not places like the Funny Farm and taken from an owner as kind and good Hearted like Sue!

Justin Portelli

Jul 30th 2009, 10:56

I am a helper at the funny farm, i take really good care of 2 dogs there....
to fix a good pit and upkeep them from your own pocket is pretty hard! Can one imagine a mother (Sue), taking care of their very helpful children and still almost a full day at the farm?
Sue dedicates all her time to upkeep these animals, As said before it's expensive to take good care of all these horses especially with no funds from goverment. I hate it when people come to critisize without constructive conclusions! All animals at the funny farm are treated well and being fed well everyday, even all helpers have a passion for animals! Let's try and help out before critisizing, so if any one is intereted in helping you're more than welcome.

Pedro Griscti

Jul 30th 2009, 03:00

Im a volunteer & a member@ The Funny Farm the love and the care Sue and all her team put into the farm is out of this world, & there are no words to describe it!
@ Joe Abel....... I top that 100% HARD WORK YES - BUT GREAT FUN AND REWARDING!!! It is tough, but when seeing any animal (most of the time rescued) getting better & better each and every day it is VERY rewarding!!! Sue deserves a big round of applause... Keep up the Good work Sue!!!!!

Anna Demanuele

Jul 29th 2009, 23:31

Truly a case that no good deed goes unpunished. Funny Farm and Sue could do with all the help they can get and not be on the receiving end of undeserved flack.

Farewell, Spike, Isis, Dawn, Angel and Black.

r sammut

Jul 29th 2009, 21:34

The picture shows a happy puppy in spotless clean conditions! The show of ribs, contrary to the malnutrition suggestion is nothing more than an energetic pup on proper feed regime.

At a cost of 150€ per horse per month the cash flow needed to maintain all those retired horses is substantial! The further stretch of budget to maintain additional dogs dumped on the Lady is too much. Still every reasonable care was being taken of even the dogs! Doing all this work without additional funding is just a commendable effort!

Marie Claire Saliba

Jul 29th 2009, 20:38

I have an idea. How about instead of and/or besides criticising or leaving sympathy comments, people try to come up with suggestions to actually HELP? I dare say several of you readers out there have ideas to contribute to the smooth running of such associations but shrug them off as 'already been done' or 'pointless'. You never know, your idea might actually be new, viable, and helpful!

d bugeja

Jul 29th 2009, 20:37

I must add too that the dog which is in the picture is very healthy and I don t know why it was taken from the farm. This dog is very playful and happy where he was. I hope it will not be put down. Another dog which was taken was also fine and I see no reason why it was taken

Joseph Galea

Jul 29th 2009, 18:51

JFarrugia's views are shocking. People with such attitudes disgust me. They believe that animals have no rights at all. It is quite evident that he/she has never experienced the unconditional love that a dog gives. How sad.
I forgot who said “I don’t know if dogs go to heaven or not, but I want to go where they go” but I would agree. I'd rather be there than in some other place with people who care nothing for animals.

A Gafa

Jul 29th 2009, 18:42

J Farrugia

I can tell by your comments that you are not an animal lover at all. I agree with the people here saying that they are disguisted at your comments. I m digusted too. Just answer this question for me will you? Why do people buy dogs and animals especially as presents and then abandon them on the street? Would you like it if someone abandoned or threw you out onto the street with nowhere to go?

Martin C Galea

Jul 29th 2009, 18:21

Does anybody think that appeals weren't made for their adoption? How many people do you know who would willingly take a sandfly ridden dog home? That's right, not many. James Cachia is right in his comments, regarding not only the lack of help from other associations, but also regarding the active obstructionism, when it comes to government assistance, and also to rehoming. Sue's main aim is to help horses, but she loves ALL animals, and does her best, with the volunteers and funds she has, to take care of ALL the unwanted animals she has. Btw, all the dogs are taken out every day, and fed and watered twice a day,with pens cleaned twice daily,and all pens (15 ft x 15ft) have shelter from the sun in the rear quarter. Oh, and the activities are all regulated by committee, so please, let nobody assume anything. Has anybody wondered why only 5 were taken out of 25? What about the other dogs? Why weren't they emaciated looking as well, if such lack of care was prevalent? Think about it, come on please. If anybody doesn't believe, then go up, and see for yourselves,otherwise, just stop attacking somebody you don't know.

d bugeja

Jul 29th 2009, 18:11

I am a current volunteer at the Funny Farm. This association which holds dogs and horses is indeed in need of money. One can easily judge and pass comments. One must take in consideration that to run this place it needs a lot of money to keep about 20 large dogs which are usually stray and about 20 horses.

The government should help these Associations financially. It needs a lot of time, commitment, and love for these animals to make their life easier than roaming into the streets. I know Sue and she loves animals. It is just a matter that now the farm is overloaded
and it is a financial burden on her.

S Thake

Jul 29th 2009, 12:12

I am a friend of the Arnett family, and I help out as much as I can. I have been organising Dog walks and Clean ups at the Funny Farm since May. We have been doing our best to get things in a better state and to socialise the dogs that are kept there as much as possible. The dog walks have greatly helped them with regards to interaction with other dogs and with people.

Sand-fly can not be cured, but only treated. And the dogs that have sand-fly were surely being treated. The other dogs were also being treated, but it obviously takes time!

The conditions are not perfect, but they are more than decent for the dogs! Sue Arnett and her family are very caring people and they devote a lot of their time and money to take care of all the animals there. They need as much help as they can get. No animal deserves to be left out in the street, abandoned by it's owners.

The dogs need a good loving home and owner. And instead of complaining about these associations who take in unwanted animals, why doesn't someone take them in themselves?

J Galea

Jul 29th 2009, 12:07

@ J Farrugia.....Your comments DISGUSTED me!!!! Animals are God's creations like us humans, and they have every right to live happily in this world. It's some of us so called HUMANS who neglect these wonderful creatures who should be put at the abbatoir. Clearly, no have no idea at all regarding the unconditional love a dog gives....something that no husband or wife or child can give!!!!!!! I, as a Maltese, DO thank all these sanctuaries for their love and dedictation and will continue supporting them.

Daphne Caruana Galizia

Jul 29th 2009, 11:43

Please will you all stop jumping to conclusions?

I know Sue Arnett, and she doesn't even begin to feature on the list of people likely to ill-treat animals. She once found a dog writhing and foaming at the mouth near the Bidnija church, ignored by everyone else, even though it had obviously been poisoned. She dropped everything and rushed the dog to a clinic, fouling up her car, and willing to pay for treatment which the vet then gave her for free. She kept this dog and cared for it for three days until she discovered whose it was - mine.

People who know nothing about dogs should refrain from commenting. That kind of emaciation and bedraggled, depressed look is not the result of underfeeding but of leishmaniasis (sandfly disease). No matter how much the dog eats, that is what it will look like. The disease can be put into remission with treatment if it is not far advanced, but that treatment is costly.

Dogs in that condition must either be treated or 'put down'. To accuse Sue Arnett of ill-treating them, however, is completely outrageous. For a start, they are a problem dumped on her doorstep by selfish others.

James Cachia

Jul 29th 2009, 11:34

To J Farrugia,

Please don't comment on stuff you dont know what your talking about!! I am a member at The Funny Farm and know for a fact that when the dog sanctuaries are full they turn towards The Funny Farm and when you see a puppy without a home you try to take it in and look after it instead of leaving it roaming the street to get hit by a car!! All the other associations in Malta got funds from the government to help them out but for some strange reason, The Funny Farm Horse Rescue Association didn't get any!! when there was a meeting about these funds, The Funny Farm committee were just asked to leave the meeting because it wasn't there place!! Yes, YOU the people of Malta should thank people like these for caring for animals because otherwise no one will!! People without a heart should end up in the abbatoir!! The government isn't there just for the people of Malta... before you speak the way you do, get your priorities straight mate!!

ABORG

Jul 29th 2009, 11:30

@ Franco Farrugia

ok ...fair enough ....that 'these authorities would look elswhere for animal-cruetly'.,,,but on the other hand if the association was not in a position to house dogs...why wasnt; some kind of advert put up for the adoption of these dogs?,.....or did they need a CURRENT volunteer to make an appeal on the comment page to do so?

Antoine Vella

Jul 29th 2009, 11:27

J Farrugia
"..obsolete animals"

Obsolete animals? What are they?

"Do they think that we the people of Malta . . ."

On no, not again! Another speaking on behalf of "the people".

Franco Farrugia

Jul 29th 2009, 11:14

'The raid was made following a report by a former volunteer.'

We, animal-lovers, if we are true to our call, should put our act together, and literally, too. Why is it that all too frequentl to hear of volunteers apparently trying to get their own back towards their former association by reporting such matters? What were they doing when they were working there? Couldn't they put a stop to this 'cruelty' as reported?

On the other hand, most animal sanctuaries are working in an unprofessional manner, without committees, without boards of directors/trustees, etc ... They are often led by one person and the volunteers are side-lined or put in the shade - a one-(wo)man show - and may also be treated shabbily, too. Every sanctuary should have a board of trustees, as well as a manager/ess. Only like that would the sanctuary be given a sense of continuity and peace of mind for the four-legged inhabitants within it.

Franco Farrugia

Jul 29th 2009, 11:06

The fact that an individual or an association has no funds does not excuse them from keeping malnourished animals or animals that lack certain basic things. If need be, go on bread and butter - keeping animals healthy and happy is well worth it.
If you are into animals, you should love ALL kinds of animals, not just one particular species.
This having been said, I echo what Ms Arnett said: the state authorities should not expect these associations to be perfect in the way they handle animal-care, seeing that the same state does not financially help them in any way (as according to this news report). I strongly suggest that these authorities look elsewhere for animal-cruelty and not at these associations.

Jo Abel

Jul 29th 2009, 10:53

I am a CURRENT volunteer at Funny Farm, although unfortunately I am only able to attend once a week because I live so far away in Marsascala. I saw the puppy pictured here, Spike, only last Thursday and he was fit and healthy then and has been as long as I have known him.

I have 2 "catcher" puppies myself who are approximately 3 months older than him and it is only in the past couple of months that they have lost the "skinny rib" look and that was despite being fed 5 times a day!

Spike is a lovely puppy who, naturally at about 8 months old, is full of energy and bounces around his kennel laying down muscle instead of fat (which can clearly be seen even in this photo).

He will make a lovely pet to someone who has the time and energy to take him on and believe me, having 2 of them, I know how much hard work it is. I met a friend who has 1 & 18 month old baby boys only yesterday and she commented that I had it more difficult than her!

HARD WORK YES - BUT GREAT FUN AND REWARDING!!!

R. Azzopardi

Jul 29th 2009, 10:38

This appears to me to be a case of a disgruntled former volunteer (remember the case of Freddie Fenech some time ago?). I am not a Funny Farm volunteer but I happen to know Sue Arnett, her family and a number of volunteers. Whenever I visited the farm, all the animals were not only well kept but were also showered with love and kindness. Funds and volunteers are seriously lacking and both these resources are stretched to the limit yet the animals are kept in the best possible state.