It is indeed heartening when I see letters in the local media about animal welfare. However, forgive me for being far from impressed when the reason for this kind of attention to animal welfare is directly channelled to the health and safety of the food that many of us eat, and not the dignity and welfare that all animals (and not merely humans) deserve by right.

For some, and this includes, unfortunately, the European Union as seen in its directives, it is essential to ensure that farm animals’ welfare is a top priority and that these animals are treated in a way regulated by the many EU directives. And let me state, it is right that farm animals are kept in a healthy manner. So far, so good.

However, the error, and what I would like to criticise, is that we stop there! And this could give the message that all we are interested in as regards animal welfare is the health of the animal simply because its meat is consumed by many of us human beings. So, it could be interpreted to mean that it is all right for people to treat other types of animals without any respect for their dignity and right to a decent life, simply because the human being does not consume their meat; but with other animals whose meat many of us consume, even on a daily basis, we have to issue a plethora of directives, lay down restrictions, impose checks, and what-not. Why? Because we, the human beings, are affected by the way the animal is treated since we eat its meat, eventually.

Does this mean that we are only interested in animals’ well being insofar as it affects the human food chain?

I am more than satisfied that Alan Deidun did not mean this in his letter (TMIS, 17 May), but I want to dismiss any possible twist to his otherwise positive message on animal welfare.

Animal welfare has to be an all-rounder: it must encapsulate all creatures that God made including the animals we live with (companion-animals, or pets) as well as those whose meat many of us, unfortunately, consume. Animal welfare must also include other animals that we use for various activities and “sports”, as some of us claim they are, such as horses and other beasts of burden. Animal welfare also includes those animals living in the wild, those animals that are free to roam our “countryside” and the sky.

It is only through proper animal legislation in Malta that we can move forward in our quest to ensure that our companions, with which we share this blue planet, are adequately protected, defended and kept with dignity as vulnerable beings. Mother Nature asks nothing less of us.

Franco Farrugia

PIETA’