Updated | PN to propose banning permanent leashing of dogs

The Nationalist Party will next week present a private member’s bill to ban choke collars and the permanent leashing of dogs.

"It is simply horrifying that such practices still occur, and the law must send a clear statement that this is unacceptable," Opposition leader Simon Busuttil told a conference on animal welfare organised by the PN's equal opportunities branch (FOIPN). 

"It is easy to say nice words, particularly in Opposition, when you see pictures of abused animals on social media, but it's time to prove that the country is civilized enough to take action against animal abuse."

Parliamentary secretary for animal rights Roderick Galdes insisted that the government already had plans to abolish the permanent chaining of dogs before Busuttil declared his stance.

“As was announced on the media a few days ago, the Animal Welfare Council is already discussing this subjects and will eventually present concrete proposals in this regard,” he said. “These proposals will be implemented after they are evaluated by technical and legal experts.”

During the conference, FOPIN president Graziella Schembri also proposed a pet cemetery in Gozo, cat shelters in every locality, and the banning of certain cat poisons.

She also said that schools should teach children about animal welfare at least once a month, and that people found guilty of animal abuse should be banned from owning animals. 

Opposition MP Mario Galea - the PN's spokesperson for animal welfare - lashed out at the Animal Welfare Department and at parliamentary secretary for animal rights Roderick Galdes.

Referring to the recent case of Masha, a Valletta cat who was put down after she was hit by a car, Galea questioned why the Animal Welfare Department hadn’t contacted her owner prior to making their decision.

"Masha was micro chipped and her owner could have easily been traced," he argued to claps from the people present. "Animals are part of the family, and perhaps her owner would have refused to have her put down."

He warned that the Animal Welfare Department has deteriorated since Labour’s accession to government, and that some animal welfare officials are unfit for the job.

“It took the Animal Welfare Department 40 whole days to start investigating a case of abuse on a mare that I had raised in Parliament,” he said. “The Animal Welfare Department shouldn’t be used as a way to appease certain people. Being an animal welfare official should be a vocation; they must be willing to run through fire and jump into the sea to save animals.”

He added that the police should dedicate a section of their force to investigate cases of animal abuse, and that Animal Welfare Commissioner Emanuel Buhagiar should be granted his own office, rather than simply a desk at Galdes’ offices.  

“Galdes must change his modus operandi, and if he is afraid to rock the boat then perhaps that’s a sign that he shouldn’t have been in the boat in the first place and that the Prime Minister should give the role to someone else.” 

Parliamentary secretary Galdes strikes back

In a statement, Galdes said that the Labour government has taken decisions on animal welfare that previous Nationalist administrations “had swept under the carpet for 25 years”.

“We introduced harsh fines against animal abuse, abolished animal circuses, set up the first animal welfare fund for NGOs, and appointed the first Commissioner for Animal Welfare,” he said.