'Systemic failings' led to plan to send dogs to 'concentration camp' shelter

The controversial proposed transfer of 20 bully-type dogs to Italy last month could have been “entirely avoided” if "systemic failings" at the Animal Welfare Directorate shelter had been addressed, a report by the Animal Welfare Commissioner found.

The 17-page report by Fleur Abela described the decision to send the dogs to Italy as a "solution to deeper systemic shortcomings" in the management at the AWD shelter, and called for immediate, structural reform.

“The Commissioner finds that the transfer of the dogs could have been entirely avoided had all links within the system worked collaboratively and proactively,” the report reads. 

“Transport should never be undertaken as a solution to systemic failings within the shelter.”

The findings show how the decision to transfer the dogs was a response to the large number of long-stay dogs at Animal Welfare, a situation described as having remained “largely stagnant”.

Abela also called for full transparency in any future consideration of animal transfers, and said the Commissioner must be provided with a full list of animals together with supporting assessments that meet “strict welfare standards”.

“Opaque or undocumented selection processes are unacceptable,” the Commissioner noted.

In December, a group of 20 bully-type dogs from the Animal Welfare Directorate (AWD) shelter were scheduled to be sent to Dogs Towns SRL, a shelter based in Naples, Italy.

The decision raised serious concerns among local NGOs, with Vuċi għall-Annimali highlighting a lack of transparency surrounding the transfer of the bully-breed dogs and alleging that the transportation was the start of a “cleansing” operation at Animal Welfare. The NGO said their contacts in Italy had sent them media reports describing the location as a “concentration camp” for dogs. 

The transfer was cancelled after Abela and the MSPCA general manager, Mary Cassar Torregiani, visited the Italian kennels on 15 December, two days before the dogs were due to be sent.

Selection process criticised

Abela sharply criticised the lack of assessment in the decision to select Dogs Town SRL, instead calling out how the decision was based on "video or photographic material" only. 

She flagged“regrettably” a lack of clarity in the selection of dogs identified for transfer, and how she was provided an incomplete list. She noted

“The dogs for transfer should have been placed on the list only after the objective criteria had been identified," the report read.

She said not all dogs at the shelter were fit to travel, she warned, making the selection process "especially cruel" in some cases. 

Conditions in Italy did not offer better welfare

The report highlighted that the Commissioner’s visit to the Italian shelter included a thorough assessment of the animals’ daily care, including feeding, routine walks and general maintenance. The Commissioner stressed the shelter showed no signs of being a kill shelter.

While the Italian shelter was licensed, registered on the EU TRACE system and compliant with legal standards, the Commissioner said its conditions did not offer any advantages over the Maltese shelter.

At the time of the visit, the Naples shelter housed between 450 to 500 dogs, with a full-time staff of 15 , including two vets and two founders. In comparison, in Malta, AWD had three vets for 86 dogs. 

The Commissioner raised her concerns about the dog’s overall health if they were to be sent to Italy, especially since the same dogs had already suffered abuse and negligence before entering the AWD shelter. She, however, noted that local staff and volunteers go out of their way to make the lives of the same dogs more bearable. 

 “By comparing that quality of life to one where the quality of life does not improve, a transfer could not be recommended,” the report read. 

“And that it is would have been better to place further efforts into homing and adoptions of these same dogs in Malta, where the follow-up can be ensured, and their overall welfare can be improved if improvements are made within the system of animal welfare.”

Following the cancellation of the transfer, the Commissioner, together with MSPCA, Noah’s Ark and other shelters and volunteers, began to work on rehoming long-stay dogs within the AWD shelter.

According to the report, 25 dogs were rehomed or are currently in the process of being rehomed. It is unclear whether this includes the original 20 dogs.

Recommendations to address shortcomings

The report concluded with ten recommendations, including the immediate investment in the structural reform of the AWD shelter to address the long-stay residency, “animal welfare degradation, and capacity constraints”.

“This reform must include the immediate engagement of qualified behaviourists, trainers, dog walkers and additional veterinary and para-veterinary staff,” the report reads. 

The commissioner also recommended that the funds initially allocated for large-scale transfers should be redirected to upgrading infrastructure at the dog and cat sections of the shelter. The funds could go towards better pens, appropriate off-leash and enrichment areas and dedicated spaces for staff, volunteers and potential adopters.

Other recommendations included forming an agreement with a reputable NGO to run the shelter, and ensuring that adoption and fostering decisions at the shelter do not rest on a “single individual”, but decisions come from a multidisciplinary team.