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Monument to Star unveiled at Animal Welfare Centre

A monument to Star, the dog which was buried in a pit and left for dead earlier this year, was inaugurated this morning at St Francis Animal Welfare Centre.

The dog lost its battle for life but its plight ensured that awareness of animal cruelty soared.

The monument was unveiled by Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino at the opening of an Open Day at the centre in Ta'Qali.

Mr Pullicino pointed out that the centre was opened exactly a year ago and had since then treated 14,000 animals. Most of them were taken to the centre at Ta' Qali at night, highlighting the benefits of a 24-hour service.

Mr Pullicino also observed that the animal ambulance, which is also operated on a 24-hour service, was called out a staggering 6,750 in a year.

He said the government's next step in animal welfare is a law to ensure that all dogs are micro-chipped by the end of June next year. He welcomed the fact that 5,500  dogs have already been micro-chipped.

The minister said the governemnt is starting the building of permanent shelters for horses in the Baviera, Marsamxett and St Elmo areas of Valletta and is awaiting permits for shelters in Sliema and Qawra.

The bronze monument, showing Star lying down, is the work in bronze by Gianni Pace.

The Open Day continues up to 5 p.m. A number of animal welfare NGOs have set up stands to promote their exhibits. 

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Ms D Galea

Oct 10th 2011, 14:55

How about a monument to honour the police who are injured in the course of carrying out their duty?

Bug Agius

Oct 10th 2011, 12:21

billi amlu monument ma jfissirx li et nadurawa.... pajjiz tal-biki bl-injoranza ta' nies li jghixu fih! jahqru annimal bix iddahqu lil shabhom u biex juru kemm huma machos!

Jon Vercellono

Oct 10th 2011, 11:30

Burying dogs which are alive, drowning dogs, running over cats and not stopping, ara veru pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse. P.S. There should be a monument on every street and a to remind people; hopefully, people will remember.

Jon Vercellono

Oct 10th 2011, 11:30

Burying dogs which are alive, drowning dogs, running over cats and not stopping, ara veru pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse. P.S. There should be a monument on every street and a to remind people; hopefully, people will remember.

Ms Emma Xerri

Oct 10th 2011, 12:51

No, I think we should have a monument for your instead!

Bug Agius

Oct 10th 2011, 13:36

well said Jon

Bug Agius

Oct 10th 2011, 12:23

il-bniedem kapaci jaghmel il-hazen u hawn min jibqa' jisfida biex iddahhaq!

Kelb jew annimal iehor m'ghandux hazen u huwa defenceless ghalhekk hawn min jaghmel l-arja maghhom!

Robert Zammit

Oct 9th 2011, 20:29

truth say you..

C Borg

Oct 9th 2011, 22:09

Ooops! You forgot rabbits,pigs,cows,chickens etc etc

Mario Pisani

Oct 9th 2011, 22:15

Here you go...criticizing a good initiative once again!! Fl-ahhar mill-ahhar, Sur Bardon, il-famuzi Noah's Ark illum kontu l-Open Day organizzata mill-Gvern biex taghmu flus!!

L-aqwa li nmaqdru...imma fejn naraw lira, malajr tarana hemm!! Get your act together if you're really an animal lover!! Cos doubts are all over the place!!!!

Chris Schembri Baldacchino

Oct 9th 2011, 18:59

Hemm mod u hemm mod, habib...

Jekk persuna jkollha marda terminali u qed issofri, il-familjari ma nahsibx li ha jaqbdu jhaffru hofra u jidfnuha hajja hux. Anzi, jaraw li z-zmien li fadlilha kemm jista jkun taddih bl-inqas tbatija.

Fil-kaz ta' annimal (fejn tista tigi appliakata forma ta' ewtanasja, cioe mercy killing) hemm il-facilita li traqqdu u mhux fil-veru sens tal-kelma "titrattah ta' annimal" u tidfnu haj.

James Dewar

Oct 9th 2011, 19:57

I think at least part of the answer to your question is given in the above post by Ms Maria Bonnici. There is a bigger picture here and the Star incident has given impetus to seeing that the whole matter of animal cruelty is brought into the public domain. Not before time some would say.

Grace Vella

Oct 9th 2011, 20:36

her owner did not kill it he decided to bury her alive to make her suffer ,

yes she defintley deserve a statue as a reminder of animal cruelty and by the way i cant imagine the monuments that are around us are all about bravery especially the one in luqa.

Ms Sylvia Zammit

Oct 9th 2011, 23:01

How can you conclude she was sick? Even the xxx who shot her just said she was old (at 10 if I remember well!) its owner decided to kill it - what you don't take into account is that he did this in the most brutal way he could think of! No wonder we never learn here,,,,,,As for the monument itself, it's dedicated to Star because she suffered at the hands of a so called 'human being' , (like many others have done, and still do!) - and she is a symbol of all those poor animals in Catholic European civilised Malta who have likewise suffered....but nobody was aware of their plight. BTW - what exactly do you feel for Star?

Ġ. Agius

Oct 10th 2011, 09:20

I feel that she was a very unfortunate dog and that harsher sentences (which make sense though, lumping a 20,000 fine on a family man with limited income is not going to resurrect the dog, but make one whole family worse off) should be implemented

But erecting a statue? That's almost laughable, but then again, we live in a country which idolizes Eileen Montesin, Bronk Productions and that kind of rubbish, so in a way, I'm not THAT surprised.

Mr A Cardona

Oct 9th 2011, 21:28

One thing you are forgetting is that animals have to be cared for by humans. If not i do not have any idea who will care for them. Maybe you know otherwise and would enlighten the rest of us. Also animals do not have a voice to fight for their rights. That is why there is so much pressure on such issues.

I understand your point regards humans (especially to the eradication of innocent lives in aborition) and agree with you but caring for our four legged friends is a great step ahead.

The greatness of a society and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.
~Mahatma Gandhi.

Ms Margaret Williams

Oct 9th 2011, 19:14

It seems as though you emphasized Gozo as the worse of the two islands.

Mr A. Mizzi

Oct 9th 2011, 12:12

Put a collection box near it!

Jos Vella

Oct 9th 2011, 12:54

It's every ones responsibility (yourself included) to protect animals; no money needed in this case..just common sense and courage to confront the offenders.

Ms Emma Xerri

Oct 9th 2011, 12:56

A. Mizzi

That is such a good idea. Why not do it?

+Charlie Micallef

Oct 9th 2011, 14:00

Its not a silly statues its a reminder about animals cruelty as you look at this statue it also remand you of Gaia and hope things will not repeat itself.

Ms Margaret Williams

Oct 9th 2011, 19:51

A harsher penality why not follow my forefathers footsteps and do the same as we did some 200 odd years ago and send them all to Australia,

JOSEPH ZAMMIT

Oct 9th 2011, 12:00

@ martin saliba too..

Monuments are, well, monuments for a goal; idea; remembrance; reflection and so on. We do not build millions of monuments for each soldier perished in wars.

I had expected the monument would point a little against animal cruelty--I mean by a couple of words.

Mr Karl Consiglio

Oct 9th 2011, 13:47

Joseph Zammit,

Then they should have done one of a baby seal

Ms Emma Xerri

Oct 9th 2011, 17:43

@Joseph Zammit

One would do well to remember although the killings of millions of soldiers in wars of acquisition and opportunity, man decided this fate using his god-given faculties, whereas animals are helpless and innocent of man's machinations.

Adrian Zerafa

Oct 9th 2011, 12:02

What is your problem? Going to far??? How many monuments have been erected to make us remember these poor creatures that suffer so much because of some sadist? None! This is the FIRST one. This monument is the wish of many. It is a way of how we express ourselves. If you do not like it, just don't bother. We have monuments all over. Is the one of Star really that extra?? You are just trying to start a never ending argument about this but we are not going to waste time anymore trying to convince people.

We done to the artist. It is great!

Mr Ivan Calleja

Oct 9th 2011, 12:30

Mhux ahjar monument lil kelba qalbiena li iggieldet kontra kollox biex tghix mill hafna monumenti bla sens li ghandna mxerrda ma Malta kollha, ibda minn dak li hemm Hal Luqa!! Get a life u jekk int kontra il-mohqrija ta l-annimali ibda hu inizzjattiva u ghamel xi haga int ukoll...hemm hafna x'wiehed jista jaghmel!!

James Dewar

Oct 9th 2011, 13:05

Martin, A reasonable response and perhaps the answer is the addition of a plaque alongside the statue which would bear the names of the other animals who have suffered such cruel deaths. The idea of a collection box as suggested by Mr Mizzi is also a good one.

Mr Martin Saliba

Oct 9th 2011, 19:53

Ivan , for your information i do do something about it as i have done but rather not say :)

M Cassar

Oct 9th 2011, 12:59

Perhaps Malta has grown up and to its horror realized that in order for anything to get any publicity an MP has to be present to cut the ribbon or to do the unveiling! This shows the extent of support of social issues by a media which sometimes seems to be the mouthpiece of politicians. Sad but true.....

Adrian Zerafa

Oct 9th 2011, 12:06

Always playing the same tune! Rest assured if anybody starts up a petition of doing so with unborn children, I would be one of the first to sign. Take the initiative and we will support you. But please do not keep on posting these messages when Star or other abused animals are involved. It is getting annoying now.

Ms Emma Xerri

Oct 9th 2011, 13:21

Dear Gerrie

Yes micro-chipping carries the risk of cancer as it is a site of inflamation (after all the chip is a foreign body).

As for your ongoing fixation with the human feotus, I do not care much for the grown up version but much, much prefer the other animal species, so unlike yourself, I do not place man in such high regard - read Ecclesiastes and see how both man and beast are the same before God and besides we are now 6 billion and counting and pretty soon will have to start eating corpses to sustain the projected 9 billion in 50 years time. See the movie "Soylent Green". This might not have to happen however since, the NWO, including the UN have already planned a culling and the ideal number for earth is around 500 million people, working to serve the top 1% and keep them living in the lap of luxury.

G G Debono

Oct 9th 2011, 14:27

Gerry

How sick - this has NOTHING to do with abortion in spite of all the nonsense you have written.

Joseph Farrugia

Oct 9th 2011, 14:47

Gerry, you do ***NOT*** like animals, period.

Statements like "as if animals are more important" betray your inner hatred on everything concerned with animal welfare; you have stooped even lower in your hole spreading FUD (google that) about micro-chipping.

Stop hijacking animal welfare issues with other (equally important, I might add) agendas; that is very ill-mannered & crass behaviour.

One issue does not need to preclude the other, ALL creatures are important, ALL cruelty is equally despicable, be it on humans or animals.

Gerry, show some respect!

Mr Ivan Calleja

Oct 9th 2011, 12:32

You are PATHETIC!

Mr Claudio Cilia

Oct 9th 2011, 12:55

Come on David...

Deo Catania

Oct 9th 2011, 13:04

jahli tant flus il-gvern statwa kontra l-mohqrija lejn l-annimali tatek fastidju? hasra li ma nistax inkelmek sew hawn.

David Cassar

Oct 9th 2011, 18:32

ehe jahli hafna flus ... din wahda minnhom

David Cassar

Oct 9th 2011, 18:34

u l-istatwa hija ta kelba ma tghid xejn kontra l-mohqrija ta l-annimali li jien kontrija ukoll tahsbux li jien hadt gost meta sirt naf xgara lil din il-kelba pero ma nahsibx li kien hemm ghalfejn isir monument ghalijha m'ghamlet xejn lil pajjiz.

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