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4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2015 News 4 News Water dispensers for karozzin horses to be installed after petition goes viral Transport Malta says water dispensers will be installed at Valletta karozzin shelters, after 25,000 people sign online petition TIM DIACONO TRANSPORT Malta has pledged to install water dispensers at karo- zzin horse shelters after a petition launched by an international ani- mal rights NGO garnered 25,000 signatures. A Transport Malta spokesper- son told MaltaToday that karozzin shelters will be equipped with wa- ter dispensers operated by radio- frequency identification cards "in the coming months". He added that repairs on the main karozzin terminal at the Valletta Waterfront will be "car- ried out shortly" after it was dam- aged in a car accident. World Animal Protection last month launched an online peti- tion urging Transport Malta to "turn the tap on" for karozzin horses, after an investigation in summer found that the animals were dehydrated because they had no access to drinking water. Only one water dispenser – at the Waterfront shelter – is cur- rently available for horses in Val- letta, fewer than existed when WAP conducted a similar investi- gation back in 2009. Indeed, every horse to which WAP officials of- fered water drank it readily, and one particularly desperate horse drained an entire bucket in one go. "Transport Malta have clearly heard the thousands of voices who've called for action on these water points," WAP campaign director Simon Pope told Mal- taToday. "Our veterinary report identified a real animal welfare problem, with karozzin horses be- coming dehydrated due to a lack of access to water. The horse owners can only provide the water which their horses need if it is available for them in the first place. "For too long now there have simply not been enough accessible water points and that means the carriage horses have been suffer- ing. "Transport Malta have done the right thing by taking responsibil- ity for providing the water and commissioning the shade points and for that we applaud them." He added that he will write to infrastructure minister Joe Mizzi to provide clearer timelines, in- sisting that the work is completed before the hot summer months to prevent horses from further suf- fering. On the face of it, karozzin own- ers' demands do not appear to be so hard to meet – two new water points at the bus terminus stand and the Fort St Elmo stand, the reconnection of the tap and horse shower near St. Paul's Cathedral to the water supply, and the resto- ration of the trough at the Wigna- court Water Tower in Floriana. However, karozzin rider Chris- tian Caruana explained that no authority has as yet been willing to shoulder responsibility, Trans- port Malta claiming that they are only responsible for regulat- ing the karozzin industry and the Animal Welfare Department claiming that their task is simply to ensure that the horses are not maltreated. Their demands could soon be- come more urgent though, with Illum reporting in September that a draft legal notice to regulate horses on the road will oblige rid- ers to ensure that their horses have a continuous supply of water. "Despite karozzin riders often facing the brunt of public criti- cism, we don't like leaving our horses in the sun without any wa- ter," he told MaltaToday. "While we agree with the terms of the legal notice, how can we provide them with water if the water sim- ply isn't available?" 'Tourist pledge card' proposal for horses In their report, WAP also pro- posed the development of a "pledge card" – leaflets distrib- uted by karozzin riders to tourists as proof that their horses are well looked after. "Tourists are increasingly aware and concerned about the use of animals in tourist-related activi- ties and attractions, and they need reassurance that when they par- ticipate in tourist attractions that involve animals, those animals are well-treated and looked after," the WAP report read. "Karozzin horses could act as a flagship for the progressive and forward-thinking stance that Mal- ta has taken on animal welfare. Many tourists would be hugely impressed that Malta has taken such a stand and a statement of the sort which pledges to uphold the values is one which will cer- tainly make a lasting impression. It would also serve to promote the stance that the nation has taken but which is not well known out- side the country." YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt