Recently introduced BOV guidelines only allow assistance dogs to enter branches
Four nominations for EP casual election
Guidelines recently introduced by Bank of Valletta state that only assistance dogs can enter the bank’s premises, while other pets are not allowed inside the premises.
Earlier this week, TV presenter and animal rights activist Moira Delia took to Facebook to voice her frustration that her dog was no longer allowed inside the bank, after they were prevented from entering.
She called the new policy a “non-dogfriendly one.”
“Me and my well-behaved dog just got turned down from entering your premises,” she wrote, “Nina, my dog, always waited patiently and never bothered others with bad odours or loud noises, but now we still got stopped in 2017.”
A media representative from the bank told The Malta Independent: “The bank has recently introduced guidelines whereby only assistance dogs (guide/hearing/service dogs) are allowed access to the bank’s premises when they are accompanying a person requiring assistance.”
“It is the bank’s practice that no pets or animals, whether on a leash, muzzled or in a container, other than assistance dogs are allowed on the bank’s premises,” they continued.
It is understood that previously, allowing animals inside the premises was up to the discretion of the bank manager. Jonathan Shaw has become the fourth PN candidate to submit his nomination for the casual election to fill the seat vacated by Therese Comodini Cachia. He submitted his nomination yesterday.
He joins Francis Zammit Dimech, Ray Bugeja and Norman Vella.
Nominations will continue to be received until tomorrow. The election will be held on 18 July.
Comodini Cachia was elected to Parliament on the 8th district in the last election. Initially she had decided to relinquish her seat, saying she preferred working for Malta in the European Parliament but, after the ensuing uproar, announced that she would take up her seat in the Maltese Parliament.