Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1519405
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 APRIL 2024 6 INTERVIEW Alison Bezzina: 'Bully breed ban only solution to unprecedented problem' ANIMAL Welfare Commissioner Ali- son Bezzina believes a temporary ban on bully breed dogs is the only solution to the abandonment crisis this breed is facing. The debate on whether the breed should be banned was once again thrust onto the national agenda after 27 bully breed dogs were rescued from dire con- ditions at a Ħaż-Żebbuġ residence earli- er this month. News of the rescue saw the commis- sioner reiterating previous calls for the breed to be banned, with Bezzina saying that while it may seem harsh, it is the only solution to the crisis facing shelters and sanctuaries. She says the problem lies in demand not meeting the supply of bully breed puppies on the market and with people lacking the knowledge on how to care for the exceptionally strong and ener- getic breed. Bezzina says the mixing of breeds by breeders is flooding the market with puppies which have no pedigree cer- tificate and no microchip. "This means that once these dogs, that are normally stronger than pure breeds, are aban- doned, you can rarely trace their own- er." With most people choosing not to adopt bully breeds, the number of abandoned dogs continues to rise. Bez- zina says the country is at crisis point. "Something needs to be done," she tells me. The commissioner also clarifies that banning the breed will not mean the nation-wide confiscation of bully breed dogs. In her 2023 annual report released re- cently, the commissioner also flagged issues concerning inadequate enforce- ment of animal welfare laws. She says the issue stems from several sources. "You have a question of human resources and loopholes in the law, and sometimes a bit of both." The commissioner also argues that on certain cases, the law should be changed so that accused persons must prove themselves innocent like in money laun- dering cases. "On certain cases you have loopholes in the law which are very difficult to ad- dress. For example, on ear cropping, it is very hard to prove guilt, because the prosecution has to prove who did it and whether it was done abroad or in Malta. Having the accused prove their inno- cence could solve the issue," she says. Speaking on a lack of progress sur- rounding zoo legislation, the commis- sioner says the petting of cubs is carried out so they can get accustomed to hu- man interaction, before they are shipped overseas to their new owners. "I am totally against it. We do not know where they are shipped off to, we have no visibility as to where they end up. A lot of them are sent to Libya, and we do not know where they end up," she says. The debate on bully breed dogs has once again been thrust onto the national agenda. Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina sits down with KARL AZZOPARDI to discuss her views on the issue, shortcomings facing the animal welfare sector and why government should legislate against big cat cub petting.