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BARBARIC: Savages saw off puppy's paws!
 
Owen Galea Sat, 06 October 2007
The Abandoned Animals Association (AA) is calling on authorities to launch an investigation into the barbaric act by unknown savages who saw off the paws of a stray dog.
 
The person who saved the dog and brought it to AA’s sanctuary in Marsa told Romina Formosa, a voluntary worker, that the dog was tied to a public bench while using a saw to torture the dog’s paw, Sunday newspaper Kullhadd reports.
 


 
“There is no reason in the world that can explain such a barbaric act as was done with this poor dog,” said Ms Formosa while describing the suffering that the dog must have felt.

“But the dog’s will to live was big and a gentle person was kind enough to bring it to our sanctuary to cure him. I can assure you that the anguish that the dog must have felt when walking on the wounds were enormous. Had it not been for that person the dog would have died with agony,” Ms Formosa told Kullhadd.

Fortunately the dog has now also found a family who adopted him and will take care of him.
 
Kullhadd on Sunday is publishing a series of pictures and more information about the dog and how similar cases should be treated. Also a detailed account of what the government has been promising for years, and has not done, for the wellbeing of animals in Malta.

 


Among these, government had supposedly allocated Lm60,000 to build a hospital for animals. But since last year’s budget, this has never materialised.

Meanwhile, Kullhadd also sought the opinion of animal lovers who had only one suggestion to give to government for this year’s budget: “We do not want anything new, all we want is that government keeps its promise and finally sets up the promised hospital.”

Observers also noted that this year government has not organised a press conference on World Animals Day, commemorated on Thursday 4 October.

Please click here for more pictures

 

Dog sanctuary is the attraction for two tourists

Michael Testa

From left: Freddie Fenech with a helper from the AAA, Ricky Alston and Claudia Meixner. Photo: Jason Borg.

Tourists from Germany normally come to Malta to enjoy the sun and sea or other attractions, but American Ricky Alston and his German partner Claudia Meixner have something else in mind: They volunteer to take care of the dogs at the Abandoned Animals Association sanctuary in the outskirts of Luqa.

Mr Alston, a cook, and Ms Meixner, a teacher, who are based in Bavaria, arrived last Saturday for a week's "holiday" with a purpose, the second time this year.

"It is hard work but it gives us great satisfaction. Visitors come to Malta for sightseeing and the sun and sea; we come purposely for the sanctuary, spurred by the love we have for our friends."

Their services are greatly appreciated by Mr Fenech: "I could do with some rest. In fact it has been some time since I had a three hour break from the routine work", Mr Fenech said as he also acknowledged work put in by other volunteers.

The proud owners of two crossbred dogs back home, Mr Alston and Ms Meixner said they got to know about the dog sanctuary in Malta through a documentary on German TV last January.

"We were so impressed that we made contact and offered our services," they said.

The couple was already in Malta helping out over the Easter period last April. When they left they took two dogs from the sanctuary to be homed in Germany.

Asked about the animal welfare situation in Germany, Ms Meixner said that organisations that take care of animals received substantial support from the government to be able to care for the dogs. Sanctuaries also have members who donate money apart from a large number of volunteers. Another important aspect is that animal organisations cooperate and keep in touch with each other through websites.

"Animal welfare in our country is taken very seriously and is well organised - something which we would also like to see happening in Malta," she said.

Apart from obtaining money from the government and members, animal welfare organisations in Germany also organise activities themselves to raise more money.

One such initiative is an obedience school, which organises classes to teach animals how to behave.

They also organise visits for children to the sanctuaries to instil love towards the animals as well as flea markets. Proceeds go towards animal welfare.

Another way they raise money is by providing an advisory service through which animal owners can seek advice about their pets, Ms Meixner said.

Mr Alston said he noticed a lot of improvement at the Luqa AAA's sanctuary since he was in Malta last April. The sanctuary is constantly being upgraded, though locals do not appreciate the work being done.

"Our friends find it hard to believe that the association does not get government support for caring for stray dogs.

"Another bad practice we have come across is putting puppies on sale at open air markets or in pet shops. Most often these are kept in small boxes or cages. Such a practice is not allowed in Germany and should be banned," he said.

He also noted the strict regulations observed by animal welfare organisations in Germany when it came to offering a dog for homing.

In most cases, volunteers visit the homes of the people offering to home the animals who will also have to make a written commitment to take good care of their new pet.

Sourced from The Times of Malta

Sun, Sep 9th, 2007 

No, but seriously...

Give them a gong

Sylvanus

These days more and more people are winning awards, medals, what have you... for just about everything. You can get a gong for long-distance vomiting, or gurning (pulling faces) and even, believe it or not, for holding your breath (no kidding).

And I, Sylvanus, think why not? But there are still some sections of the community who manage to get left out. So, I am advocating a new series of awards just for those who never get anything.

Not many of the awards we're suggesting go to the good guys; in fact very few do. I suppose you could call these Malta's version of the razzies. The razzies are the awards handed out to the worst films to come out of Hollywood in any one year and are held just ahead of the Oscars.

So here goes with Malta's razzies for 2007:

The award for the most compulsively regurgitative local TV programme of the year goes to: What else but Tista' Tkun Int, which must have brought up more lunches than room service at the Port Tomasso Tower.

The Oh sh** I wish I hadn't said that award goes to: Jason Micallef (well, he was sort of 'resigned' to getting it).

The wishful thinker of the year award goes to: Josie Muscat (bless him) for the most hopelessly optimistic gesture imaginable.

The embarrassing plonker of the year award is shared by: those two charleys who got their kit off and allowed themselves to be painted gold for Malta's Eurovision Song Contest debacle.

The most incompetent waiter of the year silver ladle award goes to: Gianni Pace Pace, who set a new world record recently by spilling soup over 23 punters in the same evening.

The most invisible 'personality' in Malta in the past year award goes to: Fabrizio Faniello (I wonder why?).

The most thoroughly deserved cum-uppance award goes to: Norman Lowell on his appointment as Malta's resident ambassador to Somalia (I wish).

The traffic congestion gold medal goes to: The organisers of the ill-conceived farce that was last year's Notte Bianca.

The thoroughly decent bloke of the year award - for this year and last - goes to: Freddie Fenech (see, I said they weren't all plonkers).

The "not my fault" award for 2007 goes to: Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg for that risible ESC cock-up.

The political surpriser... sorry, survivor of the year award goes to: Who else? Alfred Sant.

The optimist of the century award goes to: Austin Gatt for predicting 15,000 jobs to be filled at Smart City.

The conscience-free exploiter of the year award goes to: Abu ben Latif of Benghazi, who hires out leaky tubs to desperate Somalis.

The Bertu Mizzi award for press freedom goes to: Saviour Balzan.

The egg-on-face award for this year (and probably a few more) goes to: The cerebrally challenged local warden who booked my car for illegal parking in Floriana, when at the time of the alleged offence, it was garaged in Attard.

Whistle-blower of the year award for 2007 goes to: Frank Portelli.

The most successful bookie of the year award goes to: Giuseppe Marmara Sant for fixing the record number of football matches in the shortest time ever.

The Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen rose bowl award for interior design - no expense spared - goes to: Richard Cachia Caruana.

The "patronise for the planet in the press" award this year goes to: It just had to be... Frank Salt.

The avian exterminating con-servationist of the year award... to: Lino Farrugia.

The Wenzu Mintoff wind-up award for 2007 goes to: Lou Bondì.

The Censu Galea award for covert surveillance goes to: Angelo Debono.

 

Up for adoption

 
 

Photo: Jason Borg

Three Labrador crossbred puppies are waiting for a home after a heartless individual abandoned them in a carton box on a roundabout in Bugibba on Tuesday. The eight week old biege coloured puppies - two males and a female - were found by dog lover Joe Pisani who handed them to Freddie Fenech of the Abandoned Animals Association. The puppies may be seen at the AAA stand near Il-Fortizza in Sliema where the association mounts a stand daily, including weekends, from 6 to 11 p.m. The AAA , which has more puppies for homing, can be contacted on 7929 7930.

Sourced from The Times of Malta