Animal rights activist Alison Bezzina is new Commissioner for Animal Welfare

Animal rights activist Alison Bezzina has been appointed Commissioner for Animal Welfare. She replaces the former magistrate Dennis Montebello.

Bezzina made the announcement on her blog I Will Not Go Away. Writing about her decision, she admitted that when she was offered the post there was hesitation. “After careful consideration, and a few trusted conversations with true animal lovers and activists, I decided to accept the role of Commissioner for Animal Welfare and give it my best shot,” she said.

“Three years ago, I started this blog that is entirely dedicated to raising awareness on animal welfare issues. For three years this blog has given animals the voice they don’t have, and helped animal lovers get their concerns, reports and complaints in front of the right authorities,” Bezzina wrote. 

Bezzina is an animal lover, and a long-standing animal activist, who has come out strongly against zoos. Recently she told INEWS that in her view non-domestic animals should never be kept in a zoo, or any other form of establishment, except for their own good – such as for temporary medical treatment or conservation.

Bezzina added that keeping non-pets in places like zoos just to make humans enjoy watching them is unacceptable and an immensely selfish act.

“For 20-plus years I’ve blogged, I’ve lobbied, I’ve marched, I’ve rallied… I did everything I thought could make even the slightest difference in the quality of life of animals in Malta… Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn’t,” she said.

Bezzina added that for the time being she will put her blog on hold, as she adjusts to her new role. “So, here’s to change. Here’s to doing something different. Here’s to doing whatever it takes. Here’s to doing whatever it takes. Here’s to not going away,” she said.