Petition lodged to reopen animal hospital following dog’s death

A dog owner has lodged a petition calling on Parliament to reopen the animal hospital in Ta’Qali after his dog died after ingesting poison.

The Ta’Qali Animal Hospital, which provided emergency services during hours when veterinary services were unavailable, closed back in August 2023 after several machines suffered extensive damage from a power surge.

The petition to reopen the hospital was lodged Monday by 19-year-old Mathias Davidescu, a day after his American bully-Rottweiler mix dog, Bruno, died in his arms.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Davidescu said that on Saturday morning Bruno had been playing with his sister, Bella, but by the afternoon his normally happy demeanour had changed drastically.

“He was acting very sluggish and tired, and by 6.30 pm we noticed his legs were bleeding, and that is when we knew something was wrong,” he said.

His parents rushed Bruno to the only clinic open at the time, Trevor’s Vet Clinic, where the vet tested the seven-year-old dog and confirmed he had high levels of poison in his blood.

Davidescu believes Bruno must have eaten poison while they were out for a walk.

“The vets did all they could at the time; they gave him some injections and pills, but then we had to take him home, as there was only so much they could do,” he explained.

“The clinics that we have now are all doing their best, but not all of them are equipped to deal with emergencies that require overnight monitoring, transfusion, or intensive care."

Bruno enjoyed "every moment of life". Photo: Mathias Davidescu

Vets told the Davidescu family to return in the morning when they would carry out a blood transfusion for Bruno, leaving the family with nothing to do but return home with the unwell dog.

Throughout the evening, Bruno’s situation got worse as he began to throw up blood and lost strength in his legs.

The family were provided with tablets to help ease the blood clots, but their ability to intervene was limited: “How could we give him pills when he was constantly throwing up?” Davidescu said.

“By Sunday morning, both my parents were trying to find another vet to help us, to see what we could do to help him. By then, he was so tired and weak. He extended his paw out to me and laid his head on me. There was not much we could do but be there for him during his last moments.”

Reflecting on Bruno's character, Davidescu said he enjoyed "every moment of life".

"He loved it when we used to pet him, as soon as we would stop, he would just follow us and rub his head onto us, asking for more. He also always loved competing with his sister Bella; they loved racing around the garden or in the fields."

Even during his final night, Bella, Bruno's sister was by his side. Photo: Mathias Davidescu

Davidescu has lodged the petition in the hope no other pet owner will have to experience what his family did.

“Even if there was an animal hospital open, Bruno might have died, but he might have had more monitoring, a transfusion there and then. Who knows?”

And he expressed doubts that the emergency vet service scheme launched by the government would improve the situation: “We need a hospital that can provide emergency services that clinics cannot,” he said.

Last week, the Nationalist Party criticsed the government over the scheme, which it said had already existed for over 12 years.