The animal ambulance, which rescued more than 800 cats and dogs in five months, is on the critical list after the government's financial backing dried up.

The six-month pilot project was introduced last June by the Rural Affairs Ministry, which gave the Noah's Ark animal sanctuary €30,000 and a fully paid government worker to manage the 24-hour ambulance service.

However, Noah's Ark, which operates two ambulances, now has to dig deep into its pockets to keep the service going.

For years, anyone coming across an injured stray depended on the goodwill of voluntary organisations - which were often already full to capacity - so the demand for an animal ambulance became overwhelming.

Sanctuary founder Fabio Ciappara said the animal ambulance realistically needed at least €1,200 a week to be run effectively.

"The way things stand, we owe €2,000 in vet bills and special food we buy for injured animals," he said, expressing concern at how Noah's Ark could meet the contract's terms and continue running the service until the end of the year.

"I don't know what will happen once the six months are up and I hand over the keys of the ambulance to the minister," he said, insisting that whoever took on the job from Noah's Ark should be provided with more resources.

When asked if the animal ambulance would cease to exist once the agreement with Noah's Ark expired in seven weeks' time, a ministry spokesman said an alternative arrangement was planned to ease the burden on the NGO. However, he did not provide details.

Though welcoming the government's initiative, Mr Ciappara pointed to a number of shortcomings, among them the lack of proper equipment such as nets to catch cats, protective gloves and clothing. But most worrying is that the animal aftercare centre in Ta' Qali is not yet up and running.

Consequently, strays needing round-the-clock attention and nursing often have to be put down. Mr Ciappara said just last Tuesday they replied to a distress call in Siġġiewi where a family had come across a dog convulsing on the pavement.

"This dog had been poisoned and sadly we had to take it to the vet to be put down. If the aftercare centre was open it may have lived because it would have been given the 24/7 veterinary care it needed.

At Noah's Ark we can only provide limited aftercare," he said, adding most people were under the illusion this centre was already fully operational.

This shell of the centre in Ta' Qali, which is mainly geared to provide rehabilitation for and convalescence of strays brought in for surgery and treatment, is ready but it will take some time before it can start functioning.

When contacted, the ministry spokesman said the centre would open "next year". When pushed to say when, he said the target was the first half of 2010, but all this depended on the progress of the works.

"Discussions are ongoing to evaluate the recent issue of an expression of interest by NGOs and other entities willing to run the centre, in conjunction with the government, to offer the best comprehensive 24-hour service to strays," he said.

He said the money provided to Noah's Ark to run the ambulance service also covered homing injured animals. However, Mr Ciappara said they could only provide limited aftercare at the sanctuary.

"The aftercare centre, which should have already opened, will resolve our problems," he said.