Animal concern in the north

On a recent Sunday morning I was taking a drive up to the north of the island when I saw a young dog looking lost and in danger of being run over by cars.

I pulled aside and after trying to convince the scared animal that I was not going to harm it, whispering softly, the little dog came to me. I could clearly see that the dog was a stray and had been lost for several days. It could have easily been another of those abandoned by many people who just drive up north and let their unwanted dogs loose.

While I was giving reassurance to the poor animal, many people stopped and asked what happened. I explained that this could be another case of neglect, and another problem added to the dogs in search of a home. One of those who stopped was Mr Fabio Ciappara, who soon reassured me that all will be alright and that he will take the dog in his care.

I followed him and soon saw that he had more than a dozen dogs under his care; some of them have been with him for over six months. He also told me that he is the founder of Noah's Ark, a foundation that takes care of strays in the north, and that he has often spoken about the need of a sanctuary in the north of the island, indicating suitable locations where the dogs would not be any nuisance to the public with their barking.

Mr Ciappara is a caring person who spends his time and money on feeding, cleaning and taking these strays to the vet; such a dedicated person is not easy to find and surely the north of Malta could benefit from a sanctuary, as the south has been doing for many years.

The number of stray dogs in Malta is still a big problem and most are picked up and taken to the SPCA in Floriana where they are given one week to see if they are claimed by their owners, then put up for adoption for a further week, and sadly, after that they are destroyed.