Despite progress in the campaign to neuter strays, there are a number of animal welfare issues which have yet to be improved, according to the president of a German organisation.

“Having horses racing through the streets in the midday summer heat is torture for them,” Dieter Ernst, president of the European Animal and Nature Protection Association (ETN), told Times of Malta. “We’ve spoken to the government about the possibility of changing the time. A vet should also be present during horse races.

“In our view, it is unacceptable for such races to continue in the 21st century just because it used to be a tradition,” Mr Ernst said.

He added that the NGO was aware of cases where dogs and large animals were kept in horrible conditions on a number of farms.

He was speaking following a press conference marking the end of a two-week campaign which saw the neutering of about 700 stray cats and dogs.

Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes said that, thanks to an agreement the government reached with the ETN, the campaign did not cost the government any money. Thanks to three campaigns, all funded by the German association, a total of 1,700 animals were neutered.

Under the Nationalist government, the neutering of fewer than 1,500 animals had cost €175,000, Mr Galdes pointed out. The money saved, he continued, was redirected to a number of NGOs, such as the Association for Abandoned Animals, which is relocating, and to the Funny Farm.

He thanked cat feeders who, in collaboration with the Animal Welfare Department, were instrumental in catching the cats to be neutered.

“We’ll be extending the campaign to Gozo and continuing such initiatives on a regular basis to address the number of abandoned animals on the islands. I urge animal NGOs to cooperate,” Mr Galdes said.

Arson theory in livestock deaths

Eleven animals died in what is believed to be an arson attack at a farm in Nadur.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at a farm in Triq San Ġakbu.

The animals, including four chickens, three sheep, two goats and two lambs, were found dead by the farm owner at about 7.15am yesterday.

Police investigations are under way and Magistrate Joanne Vella Cuschieri was informed.