Animal cruelty

I was appalled by the item Horse Bears Brunt Of Cabbies' Fight where a horse got beaten up in Valletta in front of various onlookers. I wonder what action was taken.

Were any reports lodged with the police? This, as far as I know, is a punishable act of animal cruelty and it is hoped that the offender was arraigned and his licence as a cabby suspended. Such karozzin horses have to bear enough torment in their daily miserable lives on our asphalted, exposed roads - having them suffer a beating as well is really going too far.

This incident brought home some very unpleasant scenes some friends and I witnessed in the south of Malta where we stumbled upon a burnt horse which still had smoke coming out of it. It seems the person responsible for this poor horse had kept it for a very long time locked up in a tiny dark room and it hardly ever got the chance to see the daylight or to even move. I shudder to think what that horse went through prior to our arrival and its eventual final rest. Surely it must be illegal to keep a horse in a confined space and to subsequently burn it in a valley! Such persons should not be allowed to keep any animals whatsoever.

Here I would like to thank the administrative law enforcement unit of the police, members of whom always seriously follow up any reports of animal cruelty despite the already huge workload they have.

Well this was just one case among the myriad of animal abuse incidents. I just hope that this year brings some more respect to our animal companions.