The words of Enrico Rizzi about Sardinia prompted a response from Cosetta Prontu, president of the LIDA Sezione di Olbia ODV. The controversy began after the activist posted on social media, linking the hostile comments he had received online over the launch of his personalized bracelets to an alleged lack of civility across the entire region.
Rizzi had announced the availability of the new accessories on Facebook. According to reports, insults and mockery began piling up beneath the post; the activist later said that, after looking at the authors’ profiles, many of the comments appeared to come from Sardinia. This prompted the question: «In light of this, does anyone still have the courage to deny that there is a serious problem of civility in that region that the authorities should address?»
The statement prompted reactions on the island and a response from the animal welfare community as well. Prontu challenged the extension of this judgment to all Sardinians, writing that speaking of a «problem of civility» in reference to an entire region is «a miserable insult to an entire land, but above all to those who live here and fight every single day».
The episode comes amid tensions following Rizzi’s recent appearances in Uri, where four hunting dogs tied to trees had been found on October 24. According to news reports, the Carabinieri and the ASL had intervened at the scene; the animals were transferred to a contracted animal shelter, and the owner was reported on suspicion of animal abuse.
The Lida president had already criticized the activist during his dispute with the mayor of Olbia over the order banning people from feeding stray animals. In that statement, she contrasted the daily work of those who care for animals with visibility on social media, saying: «Animal protection is not a social media showcase, nor does it last only for the length of a livestream chasing views.»
In her October 29 post, Prontu reiterated the distinction between hands-on commitment and online controversy. «Some people save, care for and feed animals 365 days a year, out in the field, covered in mud and in silence», she wrote, criticizing those who, in her view, turn suffering into a spectacle and fuel divisions to win support.
The president concluded by saying that respect for animals and people is demonstrated through actions, not insults directed at an entire community. The latest controversy adds to other attacks on Sardinians that have circulated on social media and prompted reactions on the island.