Dogs owned by victim of pit bull attack yet to be fed more than 24 hours after incident

Dogs owned by Andre Galea, who was mauled by his own pit bulls on Sunday morning, are yet to be fed by the authorities more than 24 hours after the incident.

Animal activists who spoke to this newspaper said the dogs can be heard whining by neighbours.

According to sources, Galea currently has eight to ten pit bulls at his Msida home, and more than 24 hours after he was attacked, the dogs are yet to be fed, leading to increased frustration.

Residents in the area said he is known of housing aggressive dogs, and constant barking by the dogs had become a regular occurrence.

“One neighbour told me he had to close his son’s bedroom window, because the constant whining and barking coming from Galea’s residence was not letting him sleep last night,” an activist said.

They said that Galea’s family members are scared of entering the residence, fearing the aggressive dogs.

Neighbours are also scared of getting out of their homes, out of fear that another dog might escape and attack their own pets or children.

“They are afraid, especially after what happened yesterday. You could see their bloodied face and aggressive stare; how can you feel safe walking the streets there?” the activist said.

Galea, whose grandmother was killed by his dogs in September 2020, was attacked by his bully-breed canines while walking them in the early hours of Monday.

According to reports, neighbours were alerted to the attack at around 1:30am, when they heard Galea screaming and crying for help. The attack happened on Antonio Sciortino Street in Msida.

A police spokesperson confirmed with this newspaper that individuals called the authorities requesting an ambulance for the owner, who is spotted in viral social media videos on top of a car in the area seeking refuge from the dogs. Police were later dispatched when alerted about the situation.

Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina has also requested the Animal Welfare Department to test the dogs behind a vicious attack on their owner for drugs.

“I have sent an official request to the Animal Welfare Department so that the dogs are tested for narcotic substances inside their blood stream, to establish a clearer picture on why they behaved like that,” Bezzina told MaltaToday on Monday afternoon.

Questions have been sent to the Animal Welfare Department.

Activists slam government inaction on animal rights

Reacting to Monday’s developments, a group of animal rights activists slammed legislation on the keeping of animals.

“Animal Activists and NGOs have been asking for legislation to control breeding and a temporary ban on the breeding of stronger breeds for years. Had the Minister enacted the legislation when the first case was reported in the media, yesterday’s incident would not have happened. We believe that it is unfortunate that animals across Malta are having to suffer because of an ineffective administration. Just a couple of weeks ago, we as Animal NGOs made a list of legislations that have still not been implemented by this government,” the NGOs said.

They said they cannot understand the minister’s inaction when it comes to enacting legislation.

“We cannot understand what it will take for Anton Refalo and the government to wake up from his slumber and start taking action?” they said.