Are we really an animal-loving nation?

We say that we love animals but what we do, as a nation, seems to show otherwise.

Let us take some examples from the past few weeks.

In 2016 PN MP Mario Galea presented a private member’s bill that proposed banning the chaining of dogs and the use of electric shock collars.

The bill was aimed at banning the cruel practice of keeping dogs chained up to stationary objects for their entire life. Back then, things looked promising but, unfortunately, the bill never made it past the first reading.

There was talk, after the last election, of revisiting the issue and presenting a new bill (a bill that is not concluded by the end of a legislature has to be tabled again in the next one), but nothing has materialized so far. This means that in 2018, a practice banned in many European states, where it is deemed to be cruel, is still allowed in Malta.

Last week, this newspaper reported how animals at the government farm in Għammieri and rescue dogs at the neighbouring compound belonging to the Animal Welfare Directorate were left terrified by fireworks let off from a launch site just ten metres away. Sources who spoke to this newspaper said that staff at both facilities were disgusted by what was happening but were told to keep their mouths shut because the decision had been taken by “high up.”

This has happened elsewhere – earlier this year, the dogs at the Island Sanctuary in Marsaxlokk were scared stiff by the fireworks display there. Calls for more sensitivity towards animals, including by using silent fireworks, have fallen on deaf ears.

Other recent examples that come to mind are the ‘traditional’ horse races held during village feasts in the scorching afternoon sun. The authorities have still not declared the practice inhumane and continue to issue the relevant permits.

But this is not just a rant against the authorities. The government, for example, has invested in horse shelters at the Grand Harbour. Yet some very selfish drivers think the shade is meant for their owns cars – the horses can stand in the sun, for all they care.

Some would go further and say that horsedrawn carriages (karozzini) should be abolished in this day and age.

Over the past months, there has been a slew of reports of snail poison scattered in dog parks and on the streets, often followed by the heartbreaking stories of people whose beloved pets died after ingesting the poisoning.

One would think these horrific stories would have a more profound impact on people, that there would be a serious call to ban snail poison.

But this is, after all, a country that held a full-on referendum on whether or not we should keep killing birds – voting to retain the controversial practice. And now that the European Court of Justice has ruled that the trapping and caging of wild songbirds is illegal, the government plans to appeal the judgment in the hope that this cruel sport may continue.

There are other things one could mention, like the endless number of cases relating to animal cruelty and neglect. Just ask the animal shelters – the things they see are horrifying.

We could also mention irresponsible dog breeding – a subject we have written about extensively in the past – which puts profit before animal welfare.

Or we could mention the abysmal conditions in which animals at some pet shops are kept.

We may say that we are an animal-loving nation but that is far from the truth. Sure, there are quite a few who love and respect animals tremendously, and who manage to make a big difference when it comes to animal welfare, but as a country, we need to change so much if we want to live up to that name.