Animal Rights Organisation Speaks Up After Live Rabbits Sold For Food At Paola Market
Local animal rights organisation ‘Animal Liberation Malta’ took to Facebook yesterday to post footage of live rabbits being sold for food at the Paola market.
The rabbits were allegedly sold at €10 each, with customers picking and choosing whichever rabbit they wanted and then placing it inside a closed plastic bag.
“This is how rabbits are treated all over Malta. Like objects. I’m sure these farmers wouldn’t dream of handling a cat or dog this way, caging them and then snapping their necks to eat them,” Animal Liberation Malta said. “In fact, that would be illegal. Well what is the moral difference?! There is none. Laws do not dictate morality.”
This happened a day before ‘Imnarja’, one of the oldest local feasts, during which rabbit is traditionally eaten all over the island.
The video caused quite a stir on Facebook, with upwards of 200 individuals taking to the comment section to express their disgust towards this practice.
One disgruntled commenter said “It’s a disgrace how some people treat animals, it’s like blankness in their eyes, you mention something and they look at you like your insane.” Others compared the Paola market to wet markets in China, “I see so many comments against the Chinese markets selling dogs. Yet, we are no better,” said one commenter.