THE SHAREMALTA FOUNDATION – supporting Youth Animal Welfare Education in our schools
The ShareMalta Foundation is a charity founded June 2006, to provide education and support to the younger generation by teaching respect for all living beings including animals, whilst also learning valuable life skills to become good citizens (now part of the curriculum).
ShareMalta has no sanctuary as we devote our time to education and research on specific projects; our priority in 2008 being a cat neutering project in Rabat working with young people as they are the parents and leaders of tomorrow.
Research shows that children who are cruel to animals become family abusers and much worse.
What have we achieved during the past year?
- We visit schools teaching young people to treat animals and nature with dignity and respect, facilitating opportunities for young people to gain positive experiences in specially designated areas, as part of their curriculum in Young Citizenship Skills.
- We have started a pilot cat neutering project in Rabat involving a local community, including senior school children who will assist in the research, catching, neutering and re-homing of cats in shelters they designed and built themselves at school.
- We work closely with feeders of cat colonies to gather information, whilst supporting foster carers assisting in neutering and adoption of kittens to caring homes.
- We are building an interactive family website of news, tips, missing animals, pet training and associated services, true rescue stories and images of cats and dogs recommended for re-homing.
- We work alongside the Maltese Government and other organizations in the planning of a National Animal Neutering Policy, whilst also developing a strategy to implement micro-chipping combined with heavier penalties for cruelty and abandonment.
- Finally, we hope to illustrate that by learning to live in harmony with nature, respecting animals and the environment, people themselves gain improved health and longevity.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
Mahatma Gandhi – 20th century Indian political and spiritual leader.
