Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544603
19 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 APRIL 2026 FEATURE central data on abandoned animals exists who invent excuses when surrendering a dog, claiming the animal bites or is aggressive, which damages its chances of adoption. "Some people justify themselves so much. They act as if they are doing nothing wrong," she said. Under current procedures, a dog brought in is held for seven days to al- l o w a n y owner to come forward and reclaim it. The dog is also taken to a clinic for testing be- fore being admitted to the shelter. Agi- us said the sanctuary cannot maintain a list of irresponsible owners because it is illegal to retain personal details unless the individual has had a court convic- tion. The most common excuse she hears for abandonment is that the owner is moving house. Others say the dog be- longed to a former partner. On the morning of the visit, she said a woman called to ask about adopting a dog. She was the same woman who had aban- doned two dogs three years earlier. "The dog is the only vic- tim of abandonment. No one else," Agius said. Sending dogs abroad NGOs such as RMJ and Sec- ond Chance already independent- ly send animals abroad, including to Ireland. When asked whether the gov- ernment was coordinating with these organisations or pursuing a separate process, the secretariat did not answer. Regarding government's plan to send dogs abroad, Agius said the Naples pro- posal was met with alarm by those fa- miliar with the situation in Italy, where she said conditions are worse than in Malta. "You cannot address this problem by sending them to a country where the situation is worse than ours. I am sorry to say it, but those dogs would simply have been disposed of somewhere else," she said. Agius said she had not heard of any new plans since the Naples proposal collapsed and argued that the real solu- tions lie within Malta's stricter enforce- ment against people who abandon ani- mals, prosecutions that act as a genuine deterrent, and a far more extensive neu- tering programme. Agius said AAA runs its own neuter- ing campaign out of its own initiative, which has made a visible difference but has left a significant dent in the sanc- tuary's donations. She said without ex- tensive neutering across the country, the flow of puppies into shelters will not stop, pointing to seven puppies at the sanctuary that day, all predicted to reach between 25kg and 30kg. Their size would make them significantly harder to rehome. She described the broader situation as one of two failures: A poor public men- tality towards animals, and authorities that are not doing enough to hold peo- ple accountable. "We are drowning. I say that with complete sincerity. I see it coming from two directions, the general population and a poor mentality, and authorities that are not doing enough to penalise the people who are abandoning and abusing animals," she said. Struggling with high costs Beyond enforcement, Agius said the sanctuary struggles with the basic costs of operating vet bills, food, diesel for the AAA van, all of which depend on donations. She said maintaining a con- sistent roster of volunteers is also very difficult, with the sanctuary relying on students and interns rather than regular committed helpers. The government does try to help with Bugeja Said having cited the figure of €650,000 as the budget allocated for an- imal welfare. However, the secretariat spokesperson said the figure only represented one as- pect of total government spending on animal welfare. The secretariat said that in 2025, the Animal Welfare Fund Grant Sup- port Scheme allocated over €78,000 to NGOs for education, medical supplies, and rehoming training, while the Free Veterinary Services Scheme disbursed €76,440 to 13 eligible beneficiaries. The issue of animal abandonment re- mains a constant headache for volun- teers like Agius, who have to deal with the trauma of dogs that are abused, ne- glected or simply left astray. Before we left, Agius pointed at Zeus. The dog came into the sanctuary trau- matised, afraid of brooms, sitting and staring for hours. He is now a different dog. "We know for certain he was hit. Some dogs get to you more than others. How can you hurt an animal? How can you mistreat them?" she asked.