If you’re anything like me, the sound of a whining dog breaks my heart and stops me in my tracks. And, yet, so many people have to live with dogs constantly howling and barking in their neighbourhood.
Two of the recommendations that I made since my appointment as Commissioner for Animal Welfare are intended to, first and foremost, reduce the psychological suffering of many dogs in Malta and Gozo. Secondly, to relieve people from the stress of constant barking and howling. And, finally, to alleviate the undue pressure placed on the Animal Welfare’s Enforcement Unit.
The two recommendations are these:
- To increase the minimum size of dog enclosures that are acceptable by law. At the moment, the law (SL 439.21) states that for a dog whose wither (height from dog’s shoulder to the ground) is less than 30cm high, the minimum floor area required for the dog to live in is a mere two metres squared, including a sleeping and exercise area.
To provide context, dogs whose whither is less than 30cm high include fox terriers, Jack Russells, Yorkshire terriers, basset hounds and many other energetic dogs.
Now, anyone who knows anything about dogs will tell you that, no matter how small, no matter how well fed and no matter how sheltered, most dogs would be very unhappy and frustrated if kept in such a confined space and, while they might look healthy and in good physical condition, the psychological harm and distress would very likely lead to constant barking and howling.
But since this is the minimum floor area stipulated by law, when animal welfare officers find dogs living in such small dimensions, they are unable to do anything about the matter and the case ends up being one of public disturbance, which falls within the remit of the police and not animal welfare.
- Making it illegal to keep dogs in isolation.
This second recommendation refers to the part of the law saying animals should be provided with a suitable environment and the opportunity to exhibit normal behavioural patterns - CAP 439 (8)(4).
For dogs, there is no doubt that exhibiting normal behaviour includes a significant amount of social interaction with humans.
Dogs have been domesticated to a point that most crave human companionship more than anything else, so when they are permanently kept on roofs, yards and garages with very little human interaction, they develop severe emotional distress which leads to psychological suffering and constant barking and howling.
It is, therefore, my recommendation that when it comes to dogs (and other animals proven to crave human company), ‘a suitable environment’, as stipulated by law, should not be interpreted to include places where dogs are likely to be in isolation, like roofs, garages and yards.
If implemented, both these recommendations will drastically ease the psychological and, sometimes, even physical suffering of many dogs in Malta and Gozo as well as reduce the issue of public disturbance because of distressed and bored dogs barking incessantly.
If you happen to be lucky enough not to live in an area where you can hear suffering dogs barking constantly, here’s a cold statistic to shed some stark white light on the matter.
In 2019, 55 per cent of reports made to the Animal Welfare Enforcement Unit resulted in a false alarm. In 2020, this percentage went up to 81 per cent.
Most of these ‘false’ reports were made by concerned neighbours who were hearing dogs bark non-stop, day in day out.
The Animal Welfare Department has no choice but to label these as ‘false’ reports because keeping a dog in isolation and in small enclosures is, to date, perfectly legal, or conveniently interpreted as such!
Alison Bezzina, Commissioner for Animal Welfare