Animal welfare confirms horse which collapsed in Pieta was not abused

Animal Welfare has confirmed that the horse which was pictured collapsed in Pieta last week was not subjected to abuse, Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Clint Camilleri said.

Last week, a picture appeared on social media, showing the horse pulling a carriage collapse on the floor in Pieta. The cab driver had said that the horse slipped on a patch of oil on the road, yet many took to social media to raise concerns about horse carriages in the scorching sun.

On a Facebook post, Camilleri said that Animal Welfare had investigated the matter and found that the horse was in good condition apart from scratches resulting from the fall, which were already being treated.

Camilleri said that Animal Welfare concluded that it was not a case of animal cruelty, but an incident which could have been a result of other factors not related to animal cruelty.

He went on to say that no emergency calls were made, even though the picture was spreading on social media. He appealed to the public to call the number 1717 in case of emergencies.

Animal Liberation Malta and Vegan Malta are organising a protest at Triton Fountain, Valletta, on Saturday to call for a ban on horse-carriages.

A protest to ban horse carriages is being organised in Valletta on Saturday, August 11 at 12.30pm.