Animal Welfare Directorate denies it puts pitbulls down to sleep because of their breed

The Animal Welfare Directorate says in ‘certain rare cases’ it cannot risk dogs with high prey drive, mental illness, or an unpredictable nature being adopted by the public

The Animal Welfare Directorate denies it has a blanket policy to put pitbulls and aggressive dogs to sleep
The Animal Welfare Directorate denies it has a blanket policy to put pitbulls and aggressive dogs to sleep

Pitbulls in the care of the Animal Welfare Directorate are not put down to sleep because of their breed, the agency said.

The directorate was forced to deny claims made on social media that it had a policy to euthanise pitbulls and aggressive dogs, or other dogs when space is lacking.

Over the past year, the agency rescued 423 dogs and currently has 84 dogs in its care, it said. Of these, 23 are pitbulls and crossbreeds.

“Allegations that pitbulls are put to sleep because of their breed are false… allegations that any dog that is aggressive is put to sleep are also false,” the directorate said, adding it had successfully homed 21 pitbull and bully-cross dogs this year alone.

“The allegation that the Animal Welfare Directorate is putting dogs to sleep due to a lack of space is also false,” it added.

The directorate said on rare occasions it has had to make the “difficult decision” to euthanise a dog based on medical illness and mental disorders. “This is not an easy decision to make but when it is decided upon by a board, the welfare of the animal in question is always factored in, as well as the risk it poses to the welfare of other animals or safety of humans.”

It explained that the dog section is currently home to several dogs that may be deemed aggressive, and trainers have been consulted to work with them.

In certain rare cases, the directorate said it cannot risk dogs with high prey drive, mental illness, or an unpredictable nature being adopted out to a member of the public and possibly going on to injure a person or another animal.

“Management must also consider the risk that its workers and volunteers are exposed to on a daily basis when caring for these dogs, and to ensure that they get enough exercise so as to avoid pent up energy leading to aggression as a result of frustration… Sentencing non-reformable dogs to a life in a pen with minimal to no human contact is a welfare concern in itself and the management team’s first responsibility is taking care of the animals under its guardianship,” the directorate said.

On those occasions when the dog and cat sections reach full capacity, the directorate said it outsources boarding to a private entity. 

Last week, the Office of the Commissioner for Animal Welfare said it was investigating an alleged case of euthanasia of dogs by the Animal Welfare Directorate.

Commissioner Alison Bezzina said the incident happened over a period of time, with preliminary investigations showing it involved three or four “bully breeds”.

The investigation stemmed from online reports on three pitbull dogs, which were put down by the directorate.

The law stipulates that “…aggressive animals shall not be kept in stock and may be slaughtered or culled if this is deemed to be necessary or expedient by the Director for Veterinary Services or Director for Animal Welfare.”

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