36 charged with animal abuse in five years

36 people were charged in court with abusing or abandoning animals in the past five years.

The information was tabled in Parliament by environment minister Jose Herrera in response to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Toni Bezzina.

12 people were charged in 2012, five in 2013, nine in 2014, eight in 2015, and two so far this year.

The court heard a total of 31 animal abuse cases during that period, meaning that two people were charged over the same case in five incidences.

Around 100 people took part in a demonstration in St Julian’s last month to protest against the lack of enforcement of animal welfare laws.
The lack of enforcement of animal welfare laws was recently thrust into the picture after a horse cabbie was charged with animal cruelty following footage which purportedly showed him whipping a fallen horse.