After Being Fined For Walking Her Dog Without A Leash, Carina Laments Lack Of Dog-Friendly Spaces In Gżira
Malta’s leading model agent (and momager) has lamented the lack of spaces where dog-owners can allow their dogs to be off their leash after her group of dog-owners were all fined.
“We are a group of dog-owners who meet at 6am in the Gżira Gardens and allow the dogs (about 10) to play together,” Carina Camilleri told Lovin Malta.
“They all get on with each other, and never wander off: they just play together. Two days ago we had LESA coming to fine us because someone reported that the dogs were off the leash. I am aware that leaving a dog off the leash is against the law, but shouldn’t we as tax-paying citizens have a place close to where we live where our dogs can play without restriction?” she asked.
Carina and her Doberman
Carina has a beloved Doberman, and she forms part of a group of dog-owners who all adopted their dogs from homes
“Ultimately, these are all rescue dogs,” she said. “If we didn’t take them on they’d be in a pound. I feel like this government should be thanking us, and not fining us for rescuing dogs. I understand it’s a park, but at 6am there’s no one there. Also, there is no alternative, so I feel pretty annoyed.”
Carina and all her friends were individually fined €23.26 each for having their dogs off their leash.
She has since reached out to her Local Council to see if anything can be done for dog-owners; Carina noted that in Ta’ Qali, dogs are allowed off the leash after 6:30pm.
She also wishes the LESA officer had approached them before fining them on the spot
“At least they could have given us a verbal warning first, but someone had reported us, the officers told us,” she said.
She ended by saying that local authorities should be more concerned with the growing amount of people who are sleeping on the benches in Gżira Gardens, recounting an episode where a drunk man flashed his penis to her before peeing in the gardens.