Labour candidate thinks his animal voucher idea has big pet-ential

A Labour candidate is insisting that a complex system to give vouchers to pet owners would be an ideal way of paying a “pet’s allowance”.

Felix Busuttil, who ran in the 2019 European elections, says the government should strengthen animal rights by providing owners with a pet allowance “to protect pets, animals, and the environment.”

Busuttil said owners would have to register their pets and get them micro-chipped in order for them to qualify for monthly or quarterly vouchers redeemable only on pet products.

“Like any other government-assisted system it should be governed by control and regulations so there will be no abuse whatsoever. When a pet dies, owners should advise authorities – so there can be regular check-ups on pets at home or brought into vet clinics for continuous regular registration,” he said, when suggested that the idea could be a bureaucratic nightmare.

But just like a children’s allowance, Busuttil also proposes means-testing to limit the beneficiaries of the vouchers. “Well-earning families, depending on how many pets they keep and the upkeep of the pets involved, would need less help than those who wish to have pets and earn less. Therefore, middle-class families and the lower strata would be more entitled to these vouchers than those with high incomes,” Busuttil, a dance choreographer by profession, said.

Busuttil also wants animal welfare and health to be state-financed. “Government-assisted pet insurance would be very helpful. The same goes for medicine. Our medicine is free – so should pet medication be.”

Busuttil also said the voucher system would not discriminate between pets, except for wild animals. “Why would we discriminate? There are households who keep regular cats and dogs… and then those atypical ones who keep piglets, hamsters, bunnies, donkeys, chickens, ducks and horses. Animals that easily tolerate humans.

“A domestic animal is genetically determined to be tolerant of humans and not considered as wild. An individual wild animal or wild animal born in captivity may be tamed but it will always be considered as caged and therefore I feel it is cruel to be held in captivity. Therefore, wildlife is for the wild, and not included.”

Busuttil also said animal breeders would be excluded from being able to claim an allowance, as it would “encourage breeders, and we should encourage adoption rather than breeding”.

Busuttil also proposed a state-of-the-art national sanctuary for medical facilities and boarding for animals for persons with emergencies. “For those travelling on holiday, boarding will be cheap and affordable,” Busuttil said.

He said the institution would act as the headquarters for animal welfare, research and educational services. “If we can afford a free public hospital for us all, I do believe it can be financially feasible. Just as much as we have public or private hospitals for us humans, then for our family-pets there should also be this choice in caring for abandoned animals and also for pets who live within our households.”

Busuttil said there are already incentives in place within the present administration to encourage pet adoption, but said there were none to help families once a pet had died. “I was one of the many who personally experienced the pain of a loss of a loved pet and had serious problems in finding a way to respectfully bury or cremate my little Sushi. Animal Sanctuary now provides cremation services at a price – I would like to see the setting up of a free national crematorium for pets together with a national pet cemetery,” he said.

Busuttil said there is also an ever-growing problem with stray cats and called for a national neutering programme, and numbering system for the upkeep of the animals. “Food vouchers should also be given to volunteers who lovingly keep and feed homeless cats.”