The dogs and horses taken from an evicted group of squatters in Biżbiżija last week will remain with the Animal Welfare Directorate and the Police Force pending court proceedings.
And there is no intention to put down the horses, the government has confirmed, after a show of concern from readers.
Last week, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Rights said a number of animals had been found on property used by squatters in an operation by the Animal Welfare Directorate, a veterinarian and the Lands Authority.
Four of the 15 dogs found on site were microchipped and registered to various owners, who were asked to pick them up. Another three were registered under a squatter’s name, while the rest were not microchipped.
The Animal Welfare Directorate has said it was working with animal sanctuaries for shelter to be found for the dogs in the shortest possible time. Those that were in a poor state of health were taken to the animal hospital for more care and observation.
The horses are being kept by the police, and there is no intention to put them down
But following the action and an appeal on social media from a Lands Authority employee to find homes for the horses, some NGOs that tried to help did not receive any feedback.
When contacted this week, a spokesman said the remaining 11 dogs retrieved from the site were being kept by the Animal Welfare Directorate pending the court case. The horses are being kept by the Police, and there is no intention to put them down.
Asked if the dogs will be put up for adoption once the case is concluded and whether the horses will be kept permanently by the Police, the Secretariat said that “adoption will be considered after court case”.
A volunteer from the animal welfare sector raised concerns to this newspaper that dogs confiscated due to negligence or abuse wait with the directorate for years and risk being returned to their owners if they win in court.
As they wait, some may die while in custody and others may be too old to be adopted by the time the case is concluded.
When contacted by this newspaper, AAA sanctuary manager Rosalind Agius said that speaking in general and not about this particular case, it was no longer worth reporting cases of animal abuse, because the retrieved animals could end up spending some three to four years with the Animal Welfare Directorate.
This was in no way the directorate’s fault, she added, noting that it was the court system that led to such delays.
“The current, slow system is certainly not helping the abused animals and people like us who want justice for them,” she noted.