Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/685221
TIM DIACONO 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 un- acceptable," Opposition leader Simon Busuttil told a conference on animal welfare organised by the PN's equal opportunities branch (FOIPN). "It is easy to speak nice words, par- ticularly 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 im- plemented after they are evaluated by technical and legal experts." During the conference, FOIPN 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 wel- fare at least once a month, and that people found guilty of animal abuse should be banned from own- ing animals. Opposition MP Mario Galea – the PN's spokesperson for animal welfare – lashed out at Roderick Galdes and the Animal Welfare Department. Referring to the recent case of Masha, a Valletta cat which was put down after being hit by a car, Galea questioned why the Animal Wel- fare Department hadn't contacted Masha's owner prior to taking 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 Wel- fare Department has deteriorated since Labour's accession to govern- ment, and that some animal wel- fare officials are unfit for the job. "It took the Animal Welfare De- partment all of 40 days to start in- vestigating a case that I had raised in Parliament about abuse on a mare," he said. "The Animal Wel- fare 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 Commis- sioner Emanuel Buhagiar should have 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 administra- tions "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. tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 MAY 2016 News PN to the rescue of abused dogs, calls for ban of choke collars Simon Busuttil announced a private member's bill to ban permanent leashing of dogs, choke collars