Commissioner for Animal Welfare Alison Bezzina has presented a number of new recommendations to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights Anton Refalo and parliamentary secretary Alicia Bugeja Said.

The fourth set of recommendations includes three new proposals, joining the 15 recommendations Bezzina had already presented with hopes to improve the Animal Welfare Directorate’s operations.

The first recommendation suggests an increase in dog-friendly run free spaces to address the lack of adequate dog parks in Malta, where dogs are allowed to roam leash-free. This proposal also includes dog-friendly beaches, with all spaces being closed off into smaller areas for fewer dogs which can remain under the surveillance of their owners.

Another proposal suggests the conducting of a National Census of Captive Animals in Malta in Gozo to understand how many domestic and exotic animals are currently in Malta, with worries of a significant number of unregistered and illegal animals.

The third and final proposals includes improvement of the electronic microchipping system, which also allows shared ownership and automatic flagging in the case of indiscretions from owners. This would help with regards to flagging of individuals convicted of animal cruelty.

What do you make of these proposals?

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