Since 2016, Malta has had a law that states that dangerous animals can only be kept in licensed zoos.
When this law was enacted, the government allowed owners to register and regulate the status of their dangerous animals. However, in 2021, the auditor general found that no legal action was taken against owners of dangerous species who failed to register their exotic pets.
Now, the government is again granting an amnesty to owners keeping dangerous animals illegally as long as they register their pets and, in some cases, neuter them.
Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja said that, even though it is illegal for dangerous animals to be kept by private individuals, the best way forward is to register those present in Malta.
Put simply, the government has again used a colpo di spugna, a symbolic act of erasing or wiping away something illegal, to cover up its lack of political will to tackle abuse by lawbreakers to the detriment of the community.
Trade in exotic and dangerous pets is a multi-million euro industry that even attracts clients from Malta.
Exotic pets are rarely housed in conditions that are suitable and adequate for their needs. Most people cannot provide the special care, housing, diet and maintenance that exotic animals require. Moreover, some dangerous dog breeds attack and even kill people when their owners fail to control them adequately.
A Pitbull owner was recently given a 20-month jail term after his dogs killed his 95-year-old grandmother. Why do people have to die before the law enforcement authorities act? Lack of enforcement encourages abuse as many are prepared to risk and use catch-me-if-you-can tactics, knowing that, even if they get caught, they will find a way to avoid paying the price for their illegalities.
Lack of enforcement is an endemic problem in various sectors that remains unaddressed despite the frequent ringing of alarm bells. Workers are killed in their workplaces because of the lack of effective enforcement of health and safety regulations. Developers construct buildings despite not having a valid permit from the Planning Authority. Tax cheaters wait for the next amnesty to reap the benefits of their illegal behaviour. Many have learned from experience that the breach of regulations can be remedied by paying a small fine or benefitting from an amnesty.
The public’s declining confidence in institutions is one of the most important indicators of the deterioration in the values of our society. When we lack faith in the organisations we have formed together to achieve our ends, we are less likely to attempt to do what is right for our common good. When parliament passes a law, politicians proudly project themselves as the champions of good governance.
Still, regulations written to implement the laws passed by the political branches of government become increasingly useless because of lack of enforcement. Enforcement is where the rubber hits the road. It is where most of us have our primary interaction with the government. Without the enforcement of sensible regulations, the laws written down on pieces of paper are meaningless.
The government and its agencies must send a consistent message across all policy areas that laws and regulations must be observed and that illegalities harm the common interest and will not be tolerated. Not enforcing regulations or applying a soft touch to enforcement harms the community and is a hallmark of poor political and administrative leadership.
Laws and regulations without fair and meaningful enforcement are just symbolic pieces of paper that erode confidence in the government.