Watch: PN MP – ‘When I Was 18, I Bought A Pit Bull That Was Being Used To Train Fighting Dogs’
Nationalist MP Janice Chetcuti shared a personal story about how she once purchased a pit bull called Max that was being used as a “dummy” to train fighting dogs.
“When I was 18, and animal rights weren’t what they were today, I was in the Birkirkara area and found out that someone had a number of pit bulls and that one of them was being used as a dummy for other dogs to train their fighting skills on,” Chetcuti said in Parliament.
“I bought this dog for a large sum of money, even though I wasn’t working back then, and I took him home with me.”
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Chetcuti shared this story as she called for regulation and enforcement on dog breeders in light of Animal Welfare’s recent confiscation of 27 bully breed dogs who were being kept in unsanitary conditions in Ħaż-Żebbuġ.
“I congratulate Animal Welfare for saving these dogs and, in the name of animal lovers, I urge them to take the next step and charge the people who abused these dogs. I expect this case to serve as an example to people who expose animals to abuse and excess pain.”
Chetcuti, who owns a pit bull, warned that breeders are giving a bad name to the breed and that the end result is many animal sanctuaries packed with unwanted dogs.
“These individuals, I don’t even want to keep calling them people, who abuse of this beautiful, intelligent and sensitive race of dog are managing to create monsters out of beautiful animals.”
“Nowadays, sanctuaries are packed with dogs that no one wants. Even though sanctuaries do their utmost to give these dogs the best possible life, no dog should live their whole life in a sanctuary.”
“Dogs belong in our homes, not on the roof or the garden or a field, but in our homes as part of the family. I have an American bully as a family member, but many people acquire these dogs to look cool when walking through the streets, but then they discard them, breed them, and ruin their lives as well as the reputation of the breed.”
Cover photo: Janice Chetcuti with her current pit bull
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