A farm that rehabilitates horses that could be put down, slaughtered or mistreated has fallen behind on six months of rent payments and requires funding.

Funny Farm, in Bidnija, which has been described as an “old horses’ home”, provides shelter for 23 animals and depends on donations, with volunteers at times forking out money themselves to feed the four-legged residents.

The monthly €1,000 rent had not been paid for the past six months, volunteer Louis Abela told the newspaper yesterday. The place cried out for maintenance as utility, food, care and veterinary bills kept coming.

We are barely making ends meet

In 2009, former chairwoman Sue Arnett had appealed for support and funding, with volunteers footing all the bills themselves.

That year, five dogs were removed from the rescue centre in a raid by animal welfare officers acting on a report by a former volunteer.

An inspection indicated that the dogs were kept in adequate conditions and most of them were well-fed, except for the ones that were taken away, a veterinarian had said.

He had also noted that, during the raid, the horses were also inspected and found to be in good health.

Ms Arnett had insisted that though it was a horse rescue association she could not close the door to dogs.

Volunteers that spoke to the newspaper yesterday said the farm did not rescue dogs anymore and they owned those on site. They were barely making ends meet and it was difficult to maintain any dogs too, new chairman Sean Galea said.

“We don’t take in dogs anymore. The Funny Farm Horse Rescue Association is clearly a horse rescue association. “We take in horses found in degrading conditions, among others, by the police of the Administrative Law Enforcement unit,” he added.

An open day was held at the farm yesterday to raise funds for the rehabilitation centre. Visitors had accessed to resident horses, some of which were even rescued from the jaws of death, but others had to be kept away for fear of becoming agitated in the presence of crowds following their “terrible past”. One such animal ended up at the farm after his owner threatened the volunteers he would be let loose amid vehicles at Ħal Far.

Another one is scarred with cigarette burns and a seven-year-old pony was overused for breeding by its former owner, already giving birth to four fouls.

Pippa was born on the farm after her mother was bought from a butcher were she was waiting for someone to purchase her for horse meat.

For more information on the farm visit www.facebook.com/funnyfarm.malta.