Call To Regulate Pet Sitters In Malta Relaunched After Golden Retriever Louie Dies Under Care
The death of a “beloved” golden labrador while in the care of an unlicensed pet sitter has renewed calls for the sector to be regulated – with pet sitters needing licenses before they can take a client’s pets .
“Louie, a healthy, balanced and lovable golden retriever aged one and four months suffered a painful and lonely death while with a pet sitter (who is external to the daycare service provider -Louie’s day), due to perforation of his organs,” the MSPCA said, sharing an image of the dog.
He was being trained to be a therapy dog, but died after being “left alone in the presence of working materials including pieces of wood and metal (feldferru) that he swallowed”.
“Louie was a dear family member.”
This is just the latest case of pets dying while in the care of pet sitters. While pet sitting is a useful service for pet owners, there are only two registered pet boarding facilities on the island. Those boarding facilities are Tat-Targa Kennels and Niveksu Kennels.
On the other hand, Malta has dozens of pet sitters who offer pet sitting services, whether for a few hours or a few days, and none of them are regulated or licensed.
The MSPCA called the lack of “proper oversight or licensing” leading to fatalities.
“No pet should suffer this kind of death and no owner should come back knowing they were away enjoying themselves while their pet was dying,” she said.
Noting that owners must rely on word of mouth and external reviews when deciding where to leave their pet, the MSPCA said it was “unacceptable that these services could be offered by anyone looking to earn a living.” some extra money with limited or no knowledge’.
The MSPCA urged any new legislation to also look to provide “safe and immediate access to autopsy and appropriate freezing for all sizes of dogs in the event of death” among other recommendations.
“The authorization or licenses must, among other things, stipulate the number of animals that the place can offer. A ratio should also be introduced that balances the number of dogs per carer in case of pet-sitting services to ensure that each animal is getting the attention it needs. An assessment of the environment should also be done on a regular basis,” he noted.
“And the licenses can be revoked at any time, on a reasonable assessment of a violation of the legislation and/or when the welfare of the animals is being set aside for the profit from the said services,” he concluded.
Do you think that pet sitting services in Malta should be licensed and regulated? Sound off in the comments below