PETITION FOR DOG FRIENDLY BEACHES & PUBLIC GARDENS

On the 27th June 2011 The Times Of Malta issued an article :

"Dog owners should think twice before they take their pet to swim as they risk being slapped with a fine of up to 4,500 Euros should their four-legged friend be caught in a swimmers zone.


Although rules barring dogs from swimmers zones came into force in 2009, enforcement was stepped up in the past days as bathers who usually take their furry friends to the beach with them reported being stopped by beach supervisors and told to keep their pets from using the area within the ropes delineating swimmer zones.

The Health Ministry said this was meant to keep in check the possibility of spreading diseases.


The same law also stipulates that domestic pets are not to be taken on sandy beaches at any time. Rocky beaches are not out of bounds but the owners must ensure their pets are not a nuisance to other bathers and should clean any fouling.

Fines stipulated for breaking the law range from a minimum of 232 Euros and a maximum of 4,658 Euros for a first offence. For a second offence, the maximum rises to 11,600 Euros.


On top of that, new by-laws proposed by the Sliema local council last week further restrict the places where dogs can take a dip to relieve themselves from the summer heat. Under the by-laws, dogs will be completely prohibited from swimming in the natural pools that grace Sliemas rocky beaches. Public gardens are also out of bounds and, if taken to the beach or the promenade, they must be kept on a leash at all times.


The measures were agreed on unanimously by the local council last week and are open for public consultation for three weeks. They will come into force when the minister for local councils vets the final law proposed by the Sliema local council."


Dogs love to swim & walk - both are vital for their well being.

Sign this petition today so that with your help we can have Dog Friendly Beaches & Public Gardens In Malta
 After reading the article in the The Times dated 27th June 2011, dog owners & animal lovers all over Malta & Gozo are shocked and dismayed to find out that the Government had deceided to ban dogs completely from sandy beaches or any area which is a designated swimmers zone.


Similar to humans, dogs love the water, swimming is great exercise and it is also low impact. When walking and running, a dog must bear their body weight on their leg and foot joints. When swimming, the body is supported by the water and there is far less strain on any one part of the body. For that reason it is ideal for injury rehabilitation and exercising older dogs. A few half hour sessions per week make all the difference to a dogs weight and also adds immeasurably to all dog's quality of life



Sliema Local Council is also calling for dogs to be banned from local gardens and promenades  where are all the dogs who live in Sliema supposed to be exercised ? This action would be detrimental to a dog's health. One cannot expect dogs to be at home all the time..!!!



We the people are angry and frustrated that the Government and Sliema Local Council are taking a backward step in showing how man's long loyal best friend should be treated.



We urge the Government and the Sliema Local Council to rethink their stance on this issue. Promoting responsible dog ownership would be more effective than any of the above laws and by laws.



Dog Friendly Beaches & Public Gardens exist in most countries all over the world ...Is Malta going to be made into a country that has no tolerance to our beautiful pets by the powers that be ?



Malta already has a bad name for animal cruelty and the lax laws that are in place.



We the people demand better Animal Rights for our pets, and hope that the Government will campaign for responsible dog ownership rather than hand down ridiculous fines and bans which are all detrimental to a dog's well being.



The indifference, callousness and contempt that so many people exhibit toward animals is evil first because it results in great suffering in animals, and second because it results in an incalculably great impoverishment of the human spirit. All education should be directed toward the refinement of the individual's sensibilities in relation not only to one's fellow humans everywhere, but to all things whatsoever. ~Ashley Montague



If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. ~St. Francis of Assisi



The Greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated 
~ Mahatma Ghandi

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