The Vuci Għall-Annimali Awards 2024

The Vuci Għall-Annimali Awards 2024 winners were unveiled during a heartfelt ceremony.

The winners of the highly anticipated Vuci Għall-Annimali Awards 2024 were revealed last night during a heartfelt ceremony celebrating Malta’s unsung heroes and organizations in animal welfare.

Fabio Spiteri was awarded the Unsung Animal Warrior Award for his unwavering dedication to raising funds and awareness for abandoned animals through his passion for extreme sports. His commitment exemplifies the spirit of selflessness and determination that these awards seek to honour.

The runner-up in this category was Angelique Lofaro, recognized for her tireless work rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife as part of Nature Trust Malta and coordinating turtle nest protection efforts.

The Vuci Għall-Annimali Award, celebrating organisations making a transformative impact on animal welfare, was presented to the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA). The AAA’s continuous efforts to challenge the system, advocate for better enforcement of animal welfare laws, and run a nationwide neutering campaign have been pivotal in addressing Malta’s animal abandonment crisis.

BirdLife Malta was named runner-up for their relentless advocacy for bird conservation, including their legal battles to protect turtle doves and finches and their influential #CitizensAgainstTrapping campaign.

The Vuci Għall-Annimali Awards were created to highlight the extraordinary individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote and protect animal welfare in Malta. With over 350 public nominations across two categories, the awards received overwhelming support and participation from the community.

The finalists for the Unsung Animal Warrior Award included:

Fabio Spiteri (Winner)

Angelique Lofaro (Runner-Up)

Samantha Camilleri

Francesca Falzon

Chiara Vassallo

The finalists for the Vuci Għall-Annimali Award included:

Association for Abandoned Animals (Winner)

BirdLife Malta (Runner-Up)

Animal Liberation Malta

Our Rescues Malta Foundation

Paws 4 Cause

The judging panel included:

Althea Galea: Activist, dog rescuer, and co-founder of Vuci Għall-Annimali.

Darryl Grima: Vegan activist and co-founder of Vuci Għall-Annimali (abstained from voting in the organizational category due to affiliations).

Abigail Azzopardi: Activist and representative of Help Us Help.

Dr. Maryanne Sciberras: Vegan veterinarian and advocate for animal welfare.

The judges followed a matrix to ensure a fair and transparent selection process. Notably, the margin between first and second place in the Vuci Għall-Annimali Award was less than 1%, and the gap between first and third place was under 5%, highlighting the exceptional calibre of all finalists.

The Vuci Għall-Annimali Awards is another successful event following Rock'N 4 Animals, and serves as a reminder of the incredible work being done to create a more compassionate society for all living beings.

Congratulations to the winners, runners-up, and all the finalists for their remarkable contributions to animal welfare in Malta.

We want to thank Ramla Bay Resort for hosting the ceremony.