Vet ‘had no other option’ but to euthanise beloved Valletta cat

The Animal Welfare Department has been cleared of wrongdoing in its decision to put down a beloved cat that had lived in the streets of Valletta for 18 years.

In his investigation report on the case, animal welfare commissioner Emanuel Buhagiar ruled that the animal welfare department officials had followed the established regulations concerning animal rescue.

He also proposed that cats should be microchipped by law and that a register for lost animals should be established.

Around 50 people gathered in Valletta yesterday evening to protest against what they described as “murder by a cruel animal welfare system”, triggered by the putting down of a cat had lived on a utilities box in Melita Street for the past 18 years.

The cat in question, Masha, was put down last week after police found her lying on the ground in Valletta, paralyzed in her hind legs, after she was hit by a car. She was ambulanced to a vet who found that her spine was broken, that she was dehydrated and suffering from dehydration and haemorrhagic diarrehoea, and had tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).

“The vet had no other option but to end Masha’s suffering, and give specific instructions for her t be put down,” Buhagiar said.

In his report, the Animal Welfare Commissioner also recommended that cats be microchipped by law, so that their owners can be easily identified when they get lost, hit by a vehicle or stolen.

He also called on the Animal Welfare Department to establish a record or register for all missing animals, with contact details of their owners.