Local animal sanctuary MSPCA (Malta Society for the Protection and Care of Animals) has made calls for the implementation of legislation ‘regulating the businesses of pet-sitting services’.

This comes following the tragic death of Louie – “a healthy, balanced, and well-loved” Golden Retriever aged one year and four months who suffered “a painful and lonely death at a pet sitter (who is external to Louie’s day care service provider) due to perforation of his organs.”

“[The dog] was left unattended in the presence of work materials including pieces of wood and metal which he ingested. Louie was a cherished family member, who was in preparation to start training as a therapy dog,” the organisation wrote.

“Louie is unfortunately another victim amongst other dogs that ended up injured or dead in the hands of pet-sitters, since there are no proper licenses in place due to lack of regulation. No pet should suffer this kind of death, and no owner should come back knowing they were away having fun whilst their pets were dying,” it continued.

MSPCA noted how pet owners looking for pet-sitting services can currently only rely on ‘external factors’, like reviews and word of mouth, which do not fully determine whether or not a pet sitter is truly competent.

“The MSPCA wants to push for regulation to be introduced to regulate and supervise such services alongside a standard protocol to follow, which will exclude chances of animal neglect or cruelty,” the organisation added.

“Authorisations or licenses should, amongst other things, stipulate the number of animals that the place can offer. A ratio balancing the number of dogs per carer should also be introduced in case of pet-sitting services to ensure that each animal is getting the attention they require. An assessment of the environment should also be carried out on a regular basis,” it continued.

MSPCA went on to highlight that such licenses should be able to be revoked at any time if licensees are shown to be prioritising profits over the welfare of the animals under their care.

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