November 27th, 2006
10:12 AM
Stress on neutering at animal welfare event

Animal welfare - and particularly strays - was the focus of attention at Buskett Gardens during yesterday's Furrrballs Festival, organised by Yelp for Help.

The spring weather was an added bonus, and the festival enjoyed a good turnout, being the ideal event for a family outing - including pets.

It was aimed at raising funds for homeless animals, said Sandra Mifsud from Yelp for Help, which has been working on the event for the past five months.

To do that, though, the first step was to control and reduce the stray population, and the only way was through neutering. Yelp for Help was, therefore, focusing on neutering campaigns for cats and dogs, Ms Mifsud said.

"The idea is to try and reduce the population to avoid having to find so many homes. There are far too many strays and the sanctuaries, about six in Malta and Gozo, are at maximum capacity."

What was important was the education of the public on the importance of neutering and the fact that breeding also aggravated the problem - every puppy born meant one home less for a homeless dog.

"A new dog means a home lost," insisted Ms Mifsud, stressing on the need for a balance between homing and controlling the population.

Abandoned dogs were often abused, they got sick, or run over. They were domestic animals and their place was simply not on the streets, where they had no choice but to rummage through rubbish to the neighbourhood's dismay, Ms Mifsud explained.

She pointed out that during the preparation of the festival, gunshots were heard in the area even though it was protected, and people were seen trying to catch birds in trees.

"The gardens need to be better monitored," Ms Mifsud said, calling for more enforcement officers, possibly in plainclothes.

On a more positive note, stray animals in Malta had many carers, who were becoming more and more aware of the importance of neutering and tried to spay their colonies. This cost about Lm15 plus VAT for a female cat and about Lm7 for a male, and a voucher system has been set up, said Ms Mifsud, explaining that it could be a long procedure, including a recovery period before the animal's release.

Twelve animal welfare and conservation organisations were brought together for yesterday's event, with stands promoting their causes and raising funds. These included Bicref, BirdLife, Animal Rights Group, Happy Paws Charity Organisation, Share Malta Foundation, Hakuna Matata Malta, Island Sanctuary, National Cat Society, SPCA Gozo, Noah's Ark, Stray Animals Support Group and Cats on Campus.

Each is fighting its own battle, with a common goal. The Stray Animals Support Group, for example, is in need of a piece of land to keep the cats it neuters.

"We started neutering cats three years ago and would try and re-home them abroad; we often come across situations where we cannot put them back where they came from. Some colonies were on sites that are now being developed, and they get dispersed," the group explained.

The number of cats has rapidly grown and the National Cat Society, in Luqa, has reached maximum capacity, so more land is required, it said.

"We would be able to pick up the kittens and those in danger of cruelty." Apart from enjoying the open air and the sunshine, kids were entertained by a variety of animators, with storytelling and the screening of educational documentaries by Bicref and BirdLife in a tent. Live music took over in the evening to appeal to another section of the crowd.

Fiona Galea Debono