Carmel Serracino-Inglott, president, National Cat Society, Qormi
Council knew it was wrong
The National Cat Society (NCS) supports SPCA Gozo in its efforts to keep healthy cat colonies going, especially established ones. If the shelters which Victoria council removed were an eyesore, could the council not have upgraded them instead?
Why should SPCA Gozo be afraid of the council and have to guard the shelters? The answer is that the council knew it was wrong and wanted to clear the area when nobody was around.
People, especially cat lovers, should beware because similar abuse has occurred in other public gardens, namely at Upper Barrakka, San Anton and St Venera, from where cats (all neutered and well-fed) were taken to Wied Inċita and poisoned.
The NCS protested strongly and was promised that such action would no longer be permitted. The NCS urged the government to take legal action against the wrongdoers but nothing was done.
The NCS still insists that the wrongdoers should be brought to justice.
The law states that no stray cat can be removed or indirectly forced to move from its environment before consultations are held with its feeders and recognised cat associations - in this case, SPCA Gozo. Now we have an animal welfare department and we deserve to know whether this department is taking any action or not.
Please replace the shelters with better ones. The council should foot the bill. Where animals are concerned, ask for directives from the animal welfare department, whose officials, I am sure, are willing to help.
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Carmel Serracino-Inglott
Dec 6th 2009, 21:48
Third paragraph should read Cats from Upper Barrakka -- disappeared
San Anton ------ taken to Wied Incita ( not their enviroument)
St Venera --- poisoned
Carmel
Jon Vercellono
Dec 6th 2009, 21:25
And......as reported in the TImes last week - the Victoria Council is one of a number deeply in the red. A bit of that money could surely have gone to the establishment of a cat cafe. After all, if Nadur did it - and did it extremely well - surely Victoria could have done the same.
Franco Farrugia
Dec 6th 2009, 11:14
.... and dear councils, you will be rewarded for your efforts in building and maintaining these cat colonies. By turning them into clean cat cafes, people will be interested in keeping the cats well, the cats will be happy, the place will be better organised and outsiders will enjoy spending time watching these happy and graceful creatures. It is a well-known fact that thanks to the initiative of the Floriana Local Council, the cat-cafe near the former Sir Paul Boffa Hospital is a focal point of tourists making their way up those steps to Valletta. So, dear Councils, what are you waiting for to find some corner or corners in your localities and build a cheap but lovely means for the cats to be at their ease? The people will do the rest.
We need to prove through action, and not through words, that we are a civilised country. Respecting animals will go a long way to proving this.