One of the eight dogs that were seized from dog breeder Andre Galea’s residence last week, was reunited with his original owner, who said it had escaped from his farm two months ago.

Andrew Buhagiar had posted on social media and reported his missing dog, an American Pit Bull called Blue to animal welfare. 

The reunion was announced on Facebook by Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said on Wednesday. Animal Welfare Officers returned Blue back with Buhagiar after checking the dog's microchip.

“I did all I could, but I could not find her anywhere,” Buhagiar said. 

“I was happy and not happy when I saw her- happy I saw her, but not when I saw her condition.”

The video shows Blue covered with large furless patches on her body. The skin condition, dermatitis, can be caused by fleas, infections and also stress. Dogs under stress can lead to excessively licking or biting themselves, which can cause rashes and fur to fall out.

Buhagiar said he had Blue since she was a puppy. 

“You could see it in her reaction when she saw me,” he said.

Blue was one of the dogs which Animal welfare officers collected a day after Galea was attacked outside his house by two dogs. One other dog was stabbed to death. 

A Facebook post by Buhagiar reporting his missing dog. Photo: Facebook

Neighbours woke up to the screams and cries of Galea, whose dogs were “biting him to pieces” outside his Msida townhouse on Antonio Sciortino Street. 

Last week the Ministry confirmed that the dogs will not be euthanised and that an autopsy will be held on the stabbed dog.

Eyewitnesses said Galea used a knife to stab and kill one of the pit bulls after they began to maul him.

Back in 2020, Galea’s pit bulls mauled his 95-year-old grandmother to death.

He stands accused of the involuntary homicide of his grandmother, and during criminal proceedings, it transpired that the pit bulls that mauled his grandmother to death had scars that vets believe could be the remains of wounds suffered in dog fights.