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Kurt Sansone
The story reported by MaltaToday last week about Freddie Fenech’s dog sanctuary and the lack of financial statements to account for funds collected and expenses made has opened Pandora’s Box with volunteers working for various animal welfare organisations expressing different views on the issue but in most cases opting to remain anonymous.
Reactions to the story ranged from tacit support to outright condemnation. But whatever argument the people who contacted this newspaper made, a common request was the plea not to continue pursuing the matter because “it is not in the dogs’ interest” to do so.
It seems some animal welfare organisations prefer to function under a heavy veil of omerta, engaging in petty bickering rather than operating in a fully transparent and accountable manner.
This situation may have led Environment Minister George Pullicino recently to appeal for animal welfare groups to join forces. “The Minister’s repeated appeal for a united Animal Welfare lobby was made with the scope of getting together the efforts done by so many volunteers for the same goal,” a spokesperson for George Pullicino told MaltaToday.
“Government will surely support a united front that is based on efficient and professional management and integration of resources. It must be pointed out that a united front is in the various groups’ best interests since they would surely lessen much of the duplicated work that is in place now,” the ministry said.
Commenting on the financial situation of the animal welfare sector, the ministry said it was not aware of the financial situations of any of the animal welfare groups. “However, it must be stressed that proper and professional management is the key to a sustainable and better future for these NGO’s,” the ministry concluded.
Meanwhile, talking to MaltaToday this week Fenech, who heads the Association for Abandoned Animals, confirmed that police officials and public health inspectors did visit his sanctuary in Marsa following reports made to them by various individuals but insisted with this newspaper that they found nothing wrong with the sanctuary.
Fenech said he visited the police this week to ask them whether they were investigating him for any wrongdoing. “They told me I had nothing wrong,” Fenech said.
By the time of going to print the police had not yet responded to questions by this newspaper regarding complaints filed against Fenech’s running of the AAA.
“As for the financial statements, I have all the receipts and will be providing audited accounts later on,” Fenech reiterated. “There are a number of people who are trying to disrupt my work with the dogs but they will not stop me. People trust me because they know that what I do, I do for the dogs,” he added.
Last Sunday MaltaToday shed a spotlight on a fund raising concert organised last year which collected slightly less than Lm14,000 for the AAA. The concert was organised to raise funds to pay for an outstanding water bill of Lm3,300 after the Water Services Corporation had threatened to close the supply.
The Water Services Corporation confirmed with this newspaper that the service to the sanctuary was eventually cut off. When asked the reason for this situation, Fenech said he was in dispute with the corporation over pending bills belonging to the person under whose name the water meter was registered.
kurt@newsworksltd.com
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