[WATCH] American Bully seized from Msida dog owner had gone missing weeks before

An American Pit Bull seized from dog attack victim Andre Galea’s residence had been reported missing by its true owner weeks earlier.

The dog was yesterday reunited with its owner Andrew Buhagiar after Animal Welfare officers checked its microchip.

Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said announced on Facebook that Blue, a bully breed dog seized from Galea’s residence last week has been reunited with its owner.

Buhagiar said animals on his farm had escaped during an incident a couple of weeks back, and he had reported the dog missing to animal welfare and also issued notices on social media.

“I tried to get the dog back, but I just couldn’t find it,” he said. “Yesterday I was over the moon when Animal Welfare called me to tell me to go and see it.”

He explained how he had cared for Blue since it was a puppy. “You could see it in its reaction when it saw me.”

Blue's owner reporting the missing dog on Facebook

The owner said he was caught up between two minds when he saw the dog. “I was happy and not happy at the same time; I was happy to see it again, and sad to see the state it was in.”

The dog’s skin condition, dermatitis, can be seen quite clearly in the video posted by Bugeja Said, with large furless patches near its belly area. The condition is caused by stress.

Andre Galea was attacked outside his Msida home by one of his bully breed dogs in the early hours of Monday morning last week.

An autopsy will be carried out on one of the dogs involved in the attack, after Galea stabbed with a knife shortly after the attack.

An operation by the Animal Welfare Department saw the seizure of nine dogs from Galea’s home, after they spent more than 24 hours without food or water.

Delays to retrieve the dogs led to the ousting of former Animal Welfare Director Patricia Azzopardi from the role.

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