[WATCH] ‘Killer dogs’ on the loose in Msida have residents in fear

Complaints against ‘killer dogs’ from residents of Hamrun and Msida appear to have fallen on deaf ears, over concerns on a roaming pack of fox terriers.

The residents said that they for months they have filed several reports both with Animal Welfare and the police over a pack of dogs belonging to a farm that is situated in Msida. Attacks were first reported to Animal Welfare in April.

“The attacks have not abated and the dogs are still let loose or allowed by their owner to roam and run freely,” resident Ramona Frendo said. “The farmer’s excuse is that they escape. They seek and attack stray cat colonies and all the people filing the reports are feeders who have witnessed the savage mutilation of cats they look after.”

Frendo said that up until the 14 September the dogs, three of which are fox terriers, were once again seen running around “in a blood-lust frenzy”. 

Footage collected by the residents now shows attacks taking place.

“The dogs in their frenzy jump on car bonnets and run around streets in clever, co-ordinated blood-thirsty drives. On at least one occasion, one of the feeders was even cornered by the dogs, during one of their attacks,” Frendo said.

She described the dogs as being in good condition and not out in search of food. “They are killing machines both a detriment to stray cat communities and are a danger to the public because anybody decent would do their utmost to try and save an animal in obvious distress.”

The CCTV footage has been forwarded to the police. Despite both visits by Animal Welfare officials and verbal warnings by the police, no action has however been taken and the dogs have not been confiscated.

“The dogs can be seen sitting and lying outside his farm even after being reprimanded by officers on several occasions. At night, they go out on the hunt,” Frendo said, who has called for greater public awareness to the danger of the dogs.

“Anybody who has seen these dogs in action is urged to file a police report at the earliest and to link it to this article, always referring to the dogs as belonging to the farm situated in Msida.

“We are dismayed that the torture and death of the stray cat community seems to be of no consequence to the authorities concerned and that the dogs are allowed by the farmer to roam and kill at leisure and nothing happens.”