MOIRA DELIA produces and presents the first ever programme shown on national television to focus exclusively on animal welfare. She talks to Raphael Vassallo about how too much kindness can sometimes result in cruelty...
Your programme’s declared aim is to inspire more respect and appreciation towards all creatures. Are you satisfied with local efforts to safeguard the well-being of animals? Well, needless to say we still lack the most important thing: an workable legal framework to guarantee basic animal welfare. There is not enough law-enforcement against acts of cruel to animals (unlike the British, who have qualified and trained law-enforcers to do such work); no heavy fines; no Animal Rights Commissioner, as has recently been suggested by someone writing in the newspaper... let alone prison sentences for people found guilty of crimes against animals! Why not? In my opinion, a person who can torture an innocent animal is a person who is dangerous to be around. You either help him with some therapy, or else lock him up...
In the course of your programme you must have spoken to most, if not all the associations involved in animal welfare, and have a clearer picture than most of the day-to-day problems these tend to face. In a nutshell, what do you consider the most urgent priorities regarding animal welfare in Malta? I believe every sanctuary/NGO needs more exposure, and I try to do this on my programme mainly because of the love I have for animals. You have no idea how much these people work day and night on a voluntary basis and most of them are never seen on TV; yet they do it for the same reason-the great love and respect they have for these poor innocent and unwanted animals!
Having said that, what we really need is a constant reminder to neuter and micro chip one’s pet, issue proper licenses for breeders, and most of all track down the hoarders and help them to control the number of animals that they have, as well as monitor how their animals are being kept.
In my opinion, creating more sanctuaries isn’t really a solution, as these will eventually also get full anyway. Instead, I firmly believe a national neutering campaign, over something like three years, is a must. Household pets should be neutered and micro chipped by law. Exceptions can be made for breeders, but these should be licensed and properly controlled.
In the short term, what is needed most is definitely a 24-hour emergency service of the kind that most pet owners and animal lovers have been requesting for the past 20 years or more!
As an activist in your own right, how do you think the general public relates to your efforts? What sort of feedback do you get?
I get a lot of positive feedback and clearly people want more of this kind of programme, which is really encouraging. I have proposed various educational projects/spots, etc, to the people in charge of animal welfare, and no matter who is in government, I am prepared to continue working hard for animal rights. Yes of course I present and produce a programme about animal welfare but why should this be an individual’s project? This should be ideally on the agenda of the minister in charge of animal-welfare: TV clips like the ones shown on UK and Italian channels are essential to educating the public, especially our children. Such clips have to apply for the season of the year we are in: for instance, in spring, a clip about leaving containers full of fresh water outside our homes for stray dogs to drink from; in December, a clip against the trend of giving animals as Christmas presents; and the list goes on.
It is an open secret that many animal welfare associations do not see eye to eye, and some have thrashed out their differences in the open. What do you think are the main issues dividing animal lovers in Malta? Each NGO has its own policies and beliefs, and they are not always compatible. For example, some associations agree to neuter strays and – when there isn’t space at their sanctuaries – free them back on the road. Others just pick strays from the road when these are reported, and euthanise them... especially when they old or sick, but in some cases even when young and healthy.
Putting down animals is something that happens most often when “animal hoarders” are tracked down. These are people who may be genuine animal lovers, but sometimes they keep animals in unsanitary conditions... for instance, crowded together in a tiny flat. Then the neighbours complain about the smell and the noise... but when the authorities come to take the animals away, they find that there is no space available at any of the animal shelters. This is often the reason why animals get put down.
Because of these difference in beliefs some NGOs tend to stop communicating with each other, which is a pity really as we need all the sanctuaries to unite to be able to make themselves heard and this could be more effective.
For ages now people have been talking about the need for more State involvement in animal welfare issues, and in fact the government is in the process of finalising a new centre for animals in Ta’ Qali. What more do you think could be done? It’s not just the government Local councils could also promote animal-awareness: what’s so wrong with budgeting some money to help some animal-sanctuary? Or to help with neutering programmes, in order to control the colonies in their locality?
There are also individual habits that need to be addressed. It’s important to stopping people from feeding animals in the street. I know it is done with good intentions, but without neutering it goes against the most basic principles of animal-welfare!
What all this amounts to is that those who are behind the decision-making, have to be animal-lovers themselves and must have pets – preferably brought in from the street or from sanctuaries – at home. After al, you can’t have an excellent chef who doesn’t have a passion for food!
You are involved in efforts to create a 24-hour emergency service for animals. What are the current prospects? That is exactly my dream! So far we have the clinic, we have volunteers working there, are we also have a vet. All we are asking for are the funds to be able to run this clinic on the weekends and public holidays! Trust me, it’s not much! If I were the minister responsible, I would have said yes at once, as this would save me from building and creating an entire clinic at the taxpayer’s expense. It would also give the public what they have been asking for all this time: a 24-hour emergency service for animals.
We have also asked the Transport Authority (ADT) to help us with the registration tax of an ambulance for Mr Emanuel Magrin to be able to assist in emergencies – something he has been doing out of his own pocket). But we have been repeatedly let down...
Have you seen any improvement locally since you\ve been active
in the issue? If so, how much, and how much more still needs to be done? Yes I have: mostly in terms of awareness among the public. But since improvement has not been forthcoming for a great number of years, we still have a very long way to go. I must say, though that Dr Mario Spiteri has been working hard as animal welfare director with the few resources he has at his disposal. Still, so much more could be done if only he were given a department solely to take care of the animal welfare section.
Above all we need more education on how one should respect and appreciate animals – especially strays. In the context that we are living in (i.e., the fact that we have so many stray animals on our streets), it does not make sense to buy pets from breeders. I believe that if you really love animals you should home what already exists – and every one of God’s creatures is beautiful in its own right!
Again, one must also question the way things are being done. Are animal breeders paying taxes and VAT on the financially profit they make from selling animals? Are they licensed to do so? Is their business controlled? Are they using their female animals to just produce and produce, without giving that poor bitch a chance?
Any comments?
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