Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1268420
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 JULY 2020 NEWS LAURA CALLEJA A Labour candidate for Europe is in- sisting that a complex system to give vouchers to pet owners would be an ideal way of paying a "pet's allow- ance". Felix Busuttil, who ran in the 2019 European elections, says the govern- ment should strengthen animal rights by providing owners with a pet allow- ance "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 quarter- ly vouchers redeemable only on pet products. "Like any other government-assist- ed system it should be governed by control and regulations so there will be no abuse whatsoever. When a pet dies, owners should advise authori- ties – so there can be regular check- ups on pets at home or brought in- to 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-test- ing to limit the beneficiaries of the vouchers. "Well-earning families, depending on how many pets they keep and the upkeep of the pets in- volved, 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 wel- fare 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 sys- tem 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 indi- vidual wild animal or wild animal born Labour MEP candidate thinks his animal voucher idea has big pet-ential Just like a children's allowance, Busuttil also proposes means-testing to limit the beneficiaries of the vouchers