35 pigs were found to be abandoned in “squalid” conditions and not receiving the care they need in the fields surrounding Mellieha, animal rights NGO Animal Liberation Malta said.

The NGO said that due to the fact that the pigs were not tagged, they are destined to be slaughtered in accordance to the laws of Malta.

They appealed to people who are able to offer them a home, however they also pointed out that the law states that those not raising pigs for food are not allowed to keep them.  The NGO called this “sad” and commented that such an “intelligent, loving and sensitive” species should not be deemed less important than a cat or a dog.

They appealed to the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Clint Camilleri and the Animal Welfare Department to take action to protect the pigs.