Watch: Investigation Launched Into Animal Welfare Rescuers Who Manhandled Dog Moments After It Was Shot
An official investigation is being launched by Commissioner for Animal Welfare Alison Bezzina in response to “distressing” videos that were posted to social media platforms of the agency’s officials picking up a fox terrier dog after it had just been shot and sustained serious injuries.
The video, posted by the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA) portrayed the injured dog squealing and whimpering, while one of the workers was trying to pull the dog with a catch pole and another man was shouting in the background “Come on, catch him.”
“This is how Snoops was ‘rescued’ by the animal welfare officers after he was shot by some trigger happy criminal,” the AAA wrote.
A spokesperson for the association told Lovin Malta that the dog is just nine kilos. “He was shaking with pain” and “laying flat on the ground, almost dead” when he was found shot – “Surely, it wouldn’t have pounced on or attacked the workers in its state,” the AAA member said.
“If we had found the dog, I would have covered him with a blanket and lifted him myself in a humane way,” rather than “tugging at him aggressively with a pole and panicking the injured animal even further,” she said.
The AAA spokesperson called for the resignation of these “so-called animal ‘rescuers”, who are “scared that they will get bitten or scratched, or scared of getting dirty with blood and vomit.”
“Resign, make space for animal lovers to take up these jobs, you are not fit for purpose,” she urged.
Commissioner Bezzina told the newsroom that the situation was brought to her attention a few days ago.
She revealed that after she was made aware of the incident, she “promptly sought comprehensive details from the Animal Welfare Directorate.”
Despite the “stringent end-of-week deadline, to date, no information has been furnished,” the Commissioner revealed, a silence which prompted her to issue an official investigation into the matter.
She explained how since 2021 she has been advocating for the improvement of human resources within the Animal Welfare Directorate, especially with regards to inspectors and officers lacking adequate representation, skills, and training.
Although the Ministry for Agriculture accepted the recommendation, she stated that “tangible outcomes have been limited.”
The Commissioner went on to explain that her authority is “strictly advisory”, and that ultimately, it is up to the Animal Welfare Directorate to decide whether or not to implement the suggestions.
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