The first edition of the Animal Honors Awards was held in the presence of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights Anton Refalo, Dr Lydia Abela, as well as the Commissioner for the Protection of -Animals Alison Bezzina.
The main goal of the Animal Honors Awards is to raise awareness about animal welfare. The event was celebrated on World Animal Day, which also marks the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
Minister Refalo expressed appreciation to all those who submitted their nominations as they accounted for 781 submissions for the 20 different categories. He said, “This competition confirms the need for such an event to provide an opportunity to recognize the hard work that goes into protecting our animals.”
The Board of Adjudicators screened all nominations in order to determine the finalists. Minister Refalo thanked the team within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights for bringing this vision to life and making it a reality. He also thanked the Office of the Commissioner for Animal Welfare for his collaboration as well as the Directorate of Animal Welfare especially all the staff and volunteers working for the welfare of the rescued animals. , rehabilitated and adopted.
Dr Lydia Abela described the national recognition event as another step forward in the field of animal rights. “I believe it is a sign that as a nation we are continuing to mature in respecting and strengthening the belief in the important role of animals in our communities,” said the prime minister’s wife.
