Animal liberation activists turn up in onesies to protest Monte Kristo circus

Horse show at Monte Kristo estates should be banned under animal circus rules, say activists protesting VRD inaction

1 March 2023, 9:51am
by Matthew Vella

2 min read

Animal activists in pyjamas protest the Veterinary Division's lack of action in stopping a circus act

Animal activists in pyjamas and pillows pulled up at the Marsa offices of the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Regulation Division (VRD) to protest the lack of action in stopping another circus act called Cleopatra’s Horse Show that is scheduled to take place at Monte Kristo estates.

Activists from Animal Liberation Malta, Real Animal Rights Foundation, Association for Abandoned Animals AAA and Vuċi Għall-Annimali held up placards saying “VRD wake up! Enforce the Law”, “VRD whilst you are snoozing animals are suffering”, “Żomm kwiet – hawn in-nies reqdin hawnhekk.”

The activists said the Cleopatra’s Horse Show clearly falls under the definition of a circus and cannot be allowed under the current legislation.

“This circus act will have horses performing for three days in a row. We contacted VRD and informed them of this circus act just in case they were not aware. Apart for not answering our communication, it seems no action has been taken to stop this from happening as the show is still being promoted to date,” an ALM spokesperson said.

“The fact that the show will happen clearly demonstrates what animal NGOs and activists have long been saying about the regulator and the law itself. The regulator has repeatedly closed its eyes to breaches in the Animal Welfare Act and the recent changes in the act have been done to regularise this.”

The Animal Welfare Act itself only inflicts a €2,000 administrative fine for breaking the law, meaning the organisers stand to be fined €666 per day for each of the three days that the show will take place.

The ALM said the Animal Welfare Act had been further degraded through recent changes in the law to give powers to the VRD to issue a “special permit” to hold such events.

“In fact, if the event were held just a few days after this, the Director of VRD would have had the authority to issue a permit for this circus act. Are we going to allow big business continue uncontrolled to the detriment of Animal Welfare as well?”

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...