As happens every summer, the government, horse-drawn cab owners and animal rights activists are embroiled in a dispute over the lack of shelters for horses in Valletta.

The issue has been cropping up year after year. First it was about the site, then it was about the size, then it was about the aesthetics, then it was about the square and now it is about who is to foot the bill for them.

The issue must be clearly identified. It is not about whether horse-drawn cabs should be on the road – it is about providing shelter for these animals while they work in the summer sun. Let us be clear… a simple thick weave cotton cover is not enough to shelter these animals from the blazing sun in July and August as they stand or pull the carriage for hours on end.

Surely, it must be agreed that the horses do need a shelter. The animals need somewhere to rest and keep cool while their owners try to catch a fare. Now, the Animal Rights Coalition has claimed that Transport Malta had previously committed to providing the shelters and is now saying that it has reneged on the agreement in that the horse-drawn cab owners should pay for them.

The wrangling is likely to continue through the summer with some form of temporary compromise being reached by September. But in the meantime, it will be the horses that suffer. While we cannot know exactly what a horse feels in the heat, with a coat on, it is not likely to be very pleasant at all.

And in all likelihood, many tourists, especially European ones, will baulk at the idea of taking a ride in a horse-drawn cab simply because they will feel sorry for the animal stood in the heat. At least, if the animals are kept cool, they will present a much better picture – so the issue widens further.

But one has to ask, where does the Rural Affairs Ministry stand on all this, and what about the Animal Welfare Department. We are not at all saying that people should be arrested and prosecuted, but the department should be taking a stand on the matter.

This is not simply a three-way argument between the transport network, cabbies and animal lovers. If we have a ministry which has the issue of animal rights in its portfolio, and if we have created a department to deal with cruelty to animals, they really should be getting involved. And as we have mentioned, the horse-drawn cabs are part of our tourism product so the Malta Tourism Authority should also make its stance. The bulk of the cabbies are based in Valletta, so why has the Valletta local council not sounded its voice on the issue.

This is a case where it is easier not to get involved. But if we are to move ahead in the way we treat animals, then this is the way forward. It should not simply be left to animal lovers, horse owners and the people who run our roads. It is an issue of moral conviction and putting into practice what we are preaching. Get involved, surely it cannot be that difficult (and/or expensive) to build a few structures that blend in with our historic centres. This issue really cannot be ignored for much longer.