€500 fine after Buskett dog attack sparks Maltese debate on woodland safety

Buskett, the island’s only semi-natural woodland, has always been where Maltese families escape the limestone glare—picnics under holm-oak shade, children chasing lizards, grandparents arguing over caper-pickle recipes. Yesterday, that gentle script was torn by barking and screams. A 62-year-old Siggiewi woman is recovering from bite wounds to her thigh and hand after two un-leashed Rottweilers lunged at her on the main path leading to the Verdala staircase. The dogs’ owner, a 38-year-old man from Qormi, was hauled before Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia and fined €500, a decision that has reopened the debate on whether Buskett—technically a Natura 2000 site—can still be shared safely between Sunday strollers and increasingly assertive dog culture.

The incident happened at 8:15 a.m., just as early-bird joggers were finishing their loops. Witnesses told MaltaToday the victim tried to step aside when the pair of dogs bolted from the undergrowth, knocking her down. A passer-by used a water bottle to beat the animals off; another dialled 112. The woman was rushed to Mater Dei where she received stitches and a tetanus shot. Police later traced the owner through micro-chip data: both Rottweilers were licensed, vaccinated and, ironically, enrolled in an obedience school in Attard. Yet they were off-lead outside the designated off-lead zone—an offence under the Animal Welfare Act that carries a maximum €1,500 penalty. Prosecutor Angelo Gulia requested the minimum, citing immediate cooperation; the court still ordered the man to pay court costs and €250 in victim compensation on top of the €500 fine.

In the village cafés of Siggiewi, the sentence is being called “a joke.” Lorry driver and regular Buskett walker Charlie Pace, 54, slammed his cup on the counter: “Five hundred euro? That’s less than a weekend in Gozo. My kids love feeding the ducks there. Now my wife wants us to carry a whistle and pepper spray.” Others fear the woodland will be stigmatised. “Buskett is our green lung,” said local councillor Rebecca Vella. “One headline about ‘Rottweiler mauling’ and tourists cancel the citrus festival.” Indeed, the Siggiewi Citrus Festival, scheduled for two weeks’ time, leans heavily on Buskett foot-traffic; vendors sell honey, olive oil and the village’s famed Imqaret to day-trippers who combine a woodland stroll with heritage tasting.

Culturally, dogs have always had a complicated place in Malta. Medieval village statutes fined owners whose hounds damaged crops; British colonial officers, meanwhile, introduced the idea of the “public garden” where leashed pets were a status symbol. Today, Facebook groups like “Dog Friendly Malta” boast 30,000 members, yet the same platforms erupt whenever a beach or picnic area is temporarily closed because of fouling. Buskett’s regulations—lead required within 50 m of picnic tables, off-lead allowed on perimeter trails before 9 a.m.—were drafted in 2018 after a cocker spaniel was shot by a hunter. Even then, enforcement relied on under-resourced wardens who patrol sporadically. “We have two environmental officers for 1,200 hectares,” admitted a spokesperson for Ambjent Malta, promising “an urgent review” of signage and fines.

Animal behaviourist Claire Borg warns against breed-specific hysteria. “Rottweilers are powerful, but the real issue is owner accountability. Malta’s mild winters mean year-round outdoor activity; combine that with busy lifestyles and dogs can develop territorial trigger points.” She advocates for compulsory third-party insurance and micro-chipped leads that log when animals are walked. Meanwhile, the victim’s family has engaged lawyer Therese Comodini Cachia to explore civil damages. “A criminal fine is not compensation for trauma,” Comodini told HOT Malta. “We intend to claim medical expenses and psychological support.”

As the autumn mist settles over the pines this weekend, Buskett’s car park remains full—joggers tighten shoelaces, toddlers clutch baguette crusts for the ducks. Yet every rustle in the leaves now draws nervous glances. The €500 penalty may be paid, but the real price is a dented sense of communal safety. Until owners leash more than their dogs—until they leash their own sense of responsibility—Malta’s favourite woodland walk will feel less like sanctuary, more like contested territory.