The Malta Independent on Sunday
ANIMAL WELFARE
Failure to enforce laws for pet owners will allow sadistic animal abuse to continue
A dog forced to experience the depths of human depravity and cruelty acts as a reminder that without enforcing laws regulating pet ownership – such as having each pet micro-chipped – animal abuse will continue, explained Rosalind Agius from the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA).
Some days ago, an abandoned white boxer picked up by AAA was found to have been shot in the head and to have had an ear cut off by some form of machinery. The dog’s face was also caked in blood – due to a burst eye – and was bleeding profusely from its injured tail. An urgent appeal to the public has now been made for anybody with information to come forward.
Speaking with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Ms Agius said that Horace was doing fairly well after receiving the appropriate dose of antibiotics and painkillers. She said that he had even managed to eat some food and that somehow, in spite of all that he had been through, was acting friendly and affectionately towards the courageous AAA workers. While she vociferously condemned any form of animal cruelty, she passionately expressed her shock at how somebody could so severely harm such a warm and friendly animal.
In addition to treating the physical injuries sustained throughout the abuse, the dog has also been de-wormed and de-flead. Asked about Horace’s prospects, Ms Agius said that blood tests will be carried out shortly to ascertain whether poisoning has resulted from the traces of lead left behind in the gunshot wound. Should this be the case, poor Horace will most likely need to be put down.
Vets looking after Horace say that future operations could reduce the amount of lead found within his skull, but it will not be possible to remove all traces.
Ms Agius repeatedly stressed that animal abandonment is still a common occurrence, despite revamped animal cruelty laws, and that had Horace been chipped, even if the individual registered to the chip is not the one who carried out the atrocious abuse, authorities would have a point of reference and some information to go on.
“If each pet was micro-chipped at some point, there would be an element of accountability and/or traceability,” she said.
“We have about 80 dogs at the sanctuary and each one has been abandoned or mistreated to a greater or lesser degree. What happened to Horace is horrible, but it reminds me of what happened to Star (a dog that was found to have been shot at and buried alive some years ago) because of how it pulls on the public’s heartstrings. Dogs are abandoned and mistreated all the time, but if we all ensure that the basic laws in place today are enforced, this could go a long way towards preventing crimes like these and making people ac- countable for their actions,” she added.
Upon finding Horace, AAA took to Facebook and wrote:
“It took us four hours to catch him because of his terrible fear of humans.
“This is the condition he is in. His face caked in blood due to a burst eye, an ear that the vet has confirmed was cut by some kind of machinery or scissors because it was ridged, and an injured tail bleeding all over.”
“Unfortunately, the story for Horace is only going to get worse. Today he was taken to the vet for his operation and while the vet started to remove the burst eye, she found lead pellets in his skin and bones. An X-ray confirmed that the dog was also shot and the lead pellets are all over his head. The vet tried to remove as much lead as possible but some is going to be impossible to remove even in any future surgeries.”
“The extent of animal cruelty happening daily on this island is simply disgusting,” the sanctuary said.
AAA thanked Happy Paws clinic for the medical care provided.
People can help Horace and other abandoned dogs by sending a donation by SMS on:
50617350 €2.33
50618060 €4.66
50618910 €6.99
50619200 €11.66