Furry honours: winners of the first Malta Animal Awards, in pictures

The first Malta Animal Awards winners include a diabetic alert dog, a cat that overcame paralysis, and a visually impaired rabbit.

The awards were presented by Agricultural Minister Anton Refalo, Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina and Prime Minister’s wife Lydia Abela on Monday evening on World Animal Day. The ministry received 781 submissions for 20 categories, 10 for humans and 10 for animals.

Refalo said the awards were created to shine a light on positive stories about animals and animal lovers and raise awareness of animal welfare issues.

Among the winners was Olaf the cat, who was awarded the Pet of the Year Award. At just five weeks old, Olaf started to experience health problems, including seizures and became paralyzed. Through therapy and acupuncture, Olaf has managed to regain some of his mobility.

The Service Dog Award went to Yukiko, who is the service dog for a 12-year-old girl with diabetes. Yukiko was trained to detect and warn his owner whenever her blood sugar levels were low.   

Pete, the customs dog, also won Best Dog in Uniform. Pete, custom’s five-year-old canine, was engaged by Malta’s Customs Department in 2018 following a period of training. Peter entered active service on 20 September 2018. Since joining customs, Pete has bagged 84 positive hits.

Another winner was Fonzu, the visually impaired rabbit who was awarded Pet of the Year. Fonzu’s owner is Luke, a young member of the Malta Rabbit club.

Other awards included Best Adopted Pet, Farm Animal, Funniest Animal, Shelter Animal Most Deserving of a Home and Best feathered friend.