Success in animal welfare

A wide-ranging interview with the Commissioner for Animal Welfare, retired magistrate Denis Montebello, in The Sunday Times of Malta, has exposed a sorry account of woefully inadequate resources undermining the cause of animal welfare in this country.

When Dr Montebello took on the role of Animal Welfare Commissioner seven months ago, he immediately instituted an examination into whether the two directorates responsible for day-to-day animal welfare – the animal welfare and veterinary regulation directorates– were sufficiently well equipped to undertake the work expected of them by law.

Although there was goodwill a-plenty in both directorates, the resources available to them were totally inadequate. In Dr Montebello’s view, there are serious shortcomings that need to be tackled if the directorates are to function properly. “There cannot be surveillance without enough human resources and there cannot be proper enforcement without well-equipped animal ambulances that ensure animals don’t suffer more when they are taken away from their owners,” he said.

These issues are fundamental to success in the animal welfare field. When an animal is rescued it has to be taken to a place...