It was so refreshing to read the article Malta Also Helped Four-Legged Evacuees In Libyan Uprising (September 13).
Of particular interest to us at The Island Sanctuary was the account of Chris Fenech’s experience when it came to saving his four-legged friend Alex. Well done; his commitment towards Alex is a shining example to many dog owners who think nothing of giving up/abandoning the dogs who rely on them for all their needs.
For the few volunteers at our sanctuary, there are rarely any easy jobs. One of the hardest, unfortunately, falls to me. Every day I am bombarded by phone calls and e-mails from people who beg/demand that we admit their dog. It’s bad enough when the dog is a stray but it’s far worse when the dog comes from a home! It seems the concept of a pet as part of the family is news to many Maltese people!
It’s unbelievable how many excuses people dream up but here are the most common: I’m moving into a flat, maisonette, with my parents, to another country (you should have kept your pet in mind when planning your move).
We’re having a baby. (So what? Would you get rid of your first child just because you are having a second child?).
My son/daughter/husband etc has asthma, and is allergic to the pet (a few may be genuine but most are not).
We can’t afford the time he deserves, and we feel so sorry for him! (This sounds so hypocritical to me!)
We bought a pure-bred dog and he has health problems – we can’t afford the money for his care. (Too bad you could afford the price you paid for him! How about suing the person who sold you the dog? A dog with hip dysphasia, for example, should never be mated.)
The latest trend is, I have changed my lifestyle and there is no longer room for my dog in my life!
Whatever the excuse given, what it all boils down to is “I don’t want this dog/cat – get rid of him for me”. Sometimes they have the gall to add, “We don’t want to put him to sleep/abandon him somewhere. But…”. The clear implication being that, if we don’t help them, then it’s our fault if they are “forced” to kill/abandon the poor pet! This is utter rubbish and enough to raise my blood pressure!
We are only a handful of people – is it fair to expect us to solve Malta’s unwanted dogs’ problem on our own? The best we can offer is to put a dog on our waiting list but we cannot guarantee when he will be admitted! We can only cope with a given number of dogs, and dogs can only be admitted when we have space; either because we have managed to find a home for one of our dogs or because, sadly, we lose a dog due to ill health or old age. The former has become almost impossible as most people want a small puppy that will remain small. We have always been a “no kill” sanctuary and we will never put any of our dogs to sleep just so that we can make room for the unwanted dogs of irresponsible owners.
We’ve all heard the Dogs Trust motto: A dog is for life, not just for Christmas. Permit me to amend it a little bit – a dog is for life. Full stop. Mr Fenech has clearly shown what this means by sticking with his friend, Alex. If you are not prepared to do likewise, don’t get a dog in the first place.