Autopsy to be carried out on dog killed by pit bull owner after Msida attack

Authorities will be carrying out an autopsy on the bully breed dog killed by Andre Galea after it attacked him on Monday morning, the animal rights ministry has announced.

MaltaToday was the first to reveal on Wednesday morning that Andre Galea used a knife to kill one of the pit bulls which attacked him outside his Msida home.

Sources said one of the two pit bulls involved in the incident was stabbed with a knife and killed by Galea shortly after they turned against him.  

In a statement on Wednesday evening, the ministry said all the necessary resources were allocated to the competent authorities as soon as it was informed of the incident.

The Animal Welfare Directorate were immediately notified of the incident which happened at 1:55am on Monday.

The ministry said directorate officials, together with police, were on the site of the incident just 15 mins after the attack. The operation took two hours, the ministry said.

It said a dead dog was recovered from the site of the incident, and an autopsy will be carried out.

The ministry also confirmed that the dogs involved in the incident were not the same dogs involved in the September 2020 incident. Galea’s grandmother was mauled to death by one of his dogs while at their home.

It also refuted claims that Galea was an illegal dog breeder, with investigations resulting in no definite proof on these allegations. The ministry said investigations are ongoing.

The ministry also appealed to the public to come forward with any relevant information on the case.

“The ministry will be following closely any investigations by the police, the Animal Welfare Directorate, to ensure any relevant legal action is taken against the individual in question,” the ministry said.