I love animals. Growing up, our family owned a number of dogs, as well as a cat, and other smaller animals. When I turned 11, I decided to try volunteering at the Gozo branch of the SPCA during my summer holidays. This is also the reason why, five years later, I decided to do my Systems of Knowledge project with this NGO.

The SPCA is a non-governmental organisation that aims to protect animals from cruelty. They take in dogs that have been abandoned and try to rehome them. They also feed stray cats and provide them with an area outdoors where they have adequate shelter to sleep in. They provide kittens with cages inside the building.

The dogs are walked daily. During the night they are put in their kennels, which are fully air-conditioned rooms that are cleaned thoroughly to prevent disease. Each kennel also contains a dog bed and a bowl of water. The cages for the kittens have to be cleaned and their litter changed. The kittens are also provided with scratching posts and a number of toys. The team at SPCA also collaborates with schools to increase awareness about animal care.

I am usually given the job of walking a dog, although sometimes I am asked to clean the dog kennels or the kitten cages. I also attend car boot sales and help to set up and sell items. While they appear daunting, these tasks are highly rewarding.

Ironically, the majority of volunteers in the Gozo SPCA are not Gozitans. We should educate ourselves more on how to care for animals and as a result we should come to realise that getting a pet isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. Animals need a lot of responsibility, love and dedication.