Woman Allegedly Told Sick Kittens Would Be ‘Thrown In The Street’ By Animal Welfare Workers
A local resident, Danielle Asciak, had an upsetting exchange with Animal Welfare ambulance workers after she called them to help three stray kittens in the evening on 21st June.
“I noticed they had fur falling out of their body and some bald patches on their face and head,” Asciak told Lovin Malta. “I had cats growing up and that’s what one looked like when it had ringworm.”
When the Animal Welfare ambulance workers arrived at the Asciak’s residence, the interaction went sour immediately. The workers asked Asciak to take the kittens downstairs for the transfer, to which she declined since the kittens could escape outside. After this, she invited the workers inside the apartment block to help make the transfer safer.
Asciak went on to say how when all three kittens were transferred, one of the workers asked her why she called because according to his first impression, the kittens did not look unwell. The worker even went a step further and told Asciak that they would probably set them free.
After Asciak protested against this, the worker told her that she should not have called them, and should have gone to a vet instead.
“He kept insisting that if the vet deemed them not sick, they were going to throw them in the street,” the Asciak told Lovin Malta.
After this incident a video of the incident, that has since been deleted, was uploaded to Facebook. The Asciak spoke with her sister about the incident, to which the sister responded saying that she experienced the same thing when she had made a call for a wounded cat.
“I’m positive that not all Animal Welfare drivers (if there are more) are this incompetent. But this guy is really something else! If you don’t like animals go drive something else not an animal ambulance. These people should not be working with animals.”
Asciak then turned to animal NGOs, explaining the situation and asking for their expertise. People from Rescued Paws Malta and Real Animal Rights Foundation both agreed that the kittens needed help. She then manage to contact an official at AW who assured her that the kittens would not be left on the streets, sent a photo of the cats and confirmed they were infected with ringworm.
Lovin Malta has gotten in touch with Animal Welfare and is awaiting their response.
Have you ever had a similar experience with the Animal Welfare Department?
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