Title: Let s all take care of our pets Category: 11-14 years Group members: Attard Biancardi Ylenia, 23/08/2004 Grima Aaliyah, 21/06/2004 Vella Emma, 10/07/2004 Zammit Marie Claire, 9/02/2004 School: St Francis Secondary School, Sliema Link Teacher: Ms Vanessa Cachia Page 1 of 10
Table of Contents Abstract... 3 Our Article: Let s all take care of our pets... 4 References:... 7 Proof of Dissemination... 8 Appendix 1: Template for Questionnaire... 9 Page 2 of 10
Research carried out by: Abstract Attard Biancardi Ylenia, Grima Aaliyah, Vella Emma and Zammit Marie-Claire Title: Let s All Take Care of Our Pets Aim: To research and spread the word about how we should take care of our pets. This research attempts to investigate animal care in the area of the health and living situations of our pets, and to determine whether Maltese people treat pets well. The researchers intend to interview a volunteer at an animal shelter in Malta and ask questions about what the people at the shelter do to help animals and about problems related to animal welfare in our country. This research is based on data gathered from this interview as well as the data gathered from 100 questionnaires distributed to a representative sample of the local population. Page 3 of 10
Let s all take care of our pets By: Attard Biancardi Ylenia, Grima Aaliyah, Vella Emma and Zammit Marie-Claire During these last two years, animal cruelty has declined (Buhagiar, 2017) but it is still a serious problem. In this project we are going to discuss animal cruelty and how we can make the situation better. We chose this subject because we are all animal lovers and we want to raise awareness about how animals are treated. We have also chosen this topic because, though animal cruelty has declined, we feel that it is not a hundred percent true since many animals are still abandoned on the streets and are not being taken care of, and this is, in fact, the main focus of our research. However, this is simply our opinion and many people may think otherwise. 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Are pets well cared for in Malta? Yes No Not Sure Our research is based on 100 questionnaires given out to a representative sample of the local population. Many respondents admitted that animal cruelty is a problem even though it is slowly decreasing, and that we need to raise awareness about it (75%). Many said that one of the best means to spread the word and try to help animals is through social media such as Facebook and Instagram (36%). Teaching these situations at school was also an important option (40%), as was advertising campaigns such as billboards (34%). Unfortunately, however, most of our respondents would rather buy a pet than adopt one. They also admitted that if they saw an abandoned animal in the streets, many would leave it there, though 52% would call an animal rescue service. Page 4 of 10
Animal rescue services, in fact, do a lot of good work and are kept very busy because there are many animals out there that are being treated with cruelty and abuse instead of love and respect. For instance, just last year, on January 23 rd 2017, a sack of newborn puppies was found near Żebbuġ. Unfortunately, only one of the three puppies survived. The Stella Maris College group of scouts rescued the poor puppies after they saw the sack moving and heard whimpering coming from inside it. They informed Animal Welfare as soon as possible and they arrived shortly to collect both the surviving puppy and the one which had already died. An Animal Welfare volunteer taking care of an injured dog. As part of our research we interviewed an Animal Welfare volunteer who would like to remain anonymous, and who kindly agreed to answer our questions. We learnt that the shelter takes in around 10 dogs and 20 cats weekly, especially between the months of October and March. Non-governmental organizations also pick up a few strays, but less than those that are picked and cared for by Animal Welfare. Last year alone Animal Welfare saved around 500 dogs, 1400 cats and around 100 animals of different species such as birds, hedgehogs and reptiles. There are many different animal shelters in Malta, including the Tomasina Cat Sanctuary, Animal Care Malta and Carers for Stray and Abandoned Felines, which mainly care for cats, and Noah s Ark, Island Sanctuary Organization and the Association for Abandoned Animals, which mainly care for dogs. In fact, we were happy to note that many of our respondents knew about these shelters. Animals are thrown out in the streets for multiple reasons, one of the most common being that they are no longer wanted by their families, so they are left to fend for themselves. The pet may also be abandoned because the family moves to a place where they cannot take the pet, and veterinary bills are also a problem as the bills one has to pay for a sick pet can be very expensive, leaving the family Page 5 of 10
with the choice to either pay high prices to heal the pet, abandon it, or let it die. Another reason is that the pet simply runs away, and the family either does not find the pet or does not care. Do you think we need to raise awareness about ill treatment of animals? People also prefer to adopt kittens or puppies when they are young, for if they get an old cat or dog they may only get 4 or 5 years of love, and if they get a young one, they may get as many as 12 years from dogs and 20 years from cats. Animal Welfare is trying to change this situation, but it is rather difficult. Many people prefer to spend time and money on a young pet, for they not only live a longer life, but are more playful and energetic. There are many simple things we can all do to help pets. First of all, we should report people who abuse their pets. Many people give pets as Christmas or birthday presents, but in our opinion pets should not be given as gifts as we do not know if that person has the time to care for and to love the new pet. If we find an abandoned pet and cannot care for it ourselves, it is important to turn it over to an animal shelter so it can be adopted and have a new home. Another important solution is to teach children to respect animals, and not torment them. By doing these simple things we may be able to save the lives of many innocent animals. We can also help these animals by donating to animal shelters such as Happy Paws, Animal Welfare and the M.S.P.C.A. Page 6 of 10
References: https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170102/local/animal-cruelty-is-slowly-declininganimal-welfare-commissioner.635294 https://blog.myanathonio.com/animals/ https://www.americanehumane.org/fact-sheet/animal-abuse/ Page 7 of 10
Proof of Dissemination As required, our project is exhibited on the school premises and it is also accessible on the school website (www.saintfrancisecondary.com). We have also sent our report to the Eye Spy section of The Times of Malta, though we have no guarantee that it will be published. Page 8 of 10
Appendix 1: Template for Questionnaire 1. Gender Female male 2. Age 10-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51+ Yes 3. Do you have a pet? No If yes please specify- 4. Do you feed your pet regularly? Yes No n/a 5. Does it make you angry that there are pets not cared for? Yes No Not sure 6. If you found an abandoned animal in the street, what would you do? Take it home Leave it where it is Not sure Page 9 of 10
7. Do you take care of your pets health? definitely Always sometimes never 8. What would you do? Buy a pet Adopt a pet yes 9. Is it cruel to leave a pet behind? No yes 10. Do you think pets cruelty is an issue nowadays? No 11. How often do you take your pet to the vet? Once Twice more 12. Is your pet happy at home? yes No Not sure Thank You Attard Biancardi Ylenia, Grima Aaliyah, Vella Emma, Zammit Marie-Claire Page 10 of 10