There was no dog without a wagging tail at the inauguration of the long-awaited St Francis Animal Care Centre in Ta’ Qali yesterday.
The facilities will provide services for strays rescued by the Animal Welfare Department and rehabilitation services for pets that would have been operated upon privately but need post-operative care.
Looking somewhat like a hobbit home from Lord of the Rings – as though the building had been carved out of a mound of earth – the innovative design make the facility blend into the surrounding landscape. Its grass covered roof makes it look like a little hill and provides insulation to muffle the sounds inside and protect the centre from extreme temperatures.
The centre, close to the vegetable market, will officially open its doors tomorrow to offer a 24/7 service to animals needing its care.
Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said the centre would be primarily offering a free “animal hospital” service for strays brought in by the Animal Welfare Department but will also cater for privately owned pets at a cost. Animal welfare NGOs will benefit from a 20 per cent discount.
Apart from the separate dog and cat wards, the centre is also equipped with a lab, imaging room, pharmacy, intensive therapy unit, pre-op and surgical theatre area, an isolation area for infective cases, stables and a ward for exotic animals. It will also be used to train guide dogs for the blind and as an educational centre.
The centre can cater for about 150 animals. However, it would not provide long-term housing as such a role would continue to be performed by the animal sanctuaries and a section of Għammieri Farm.
Mr Pullicino said the animal care centre was built after the government noted the need for it. He pointed out there was more that had to be done for animal welfare. More plans would be unveiled in this regard in the coming weeks.
According the minister, about 2,000 animals were rescued by the animal ambulance since it was taken over by the Animal Welfare Department and over half of them were homed.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who opened the centre, appealed to parents to use pets as a tool to teach children responsibility.
Dr Gonzi said he received e-mails from animal welfare NGOs daily and wanted to thank them for making society better.
During a walkabout, Dr Gonzi and Mr Pullicino were approached by members of the Gozo SPCA who appealed to them to sort out their issue of premises. The society had been campaigning for new premises for many years but, so far, no land was officially earmarked as a site for them where to build the desperately-needed sanctuary, Gozo SPCA chairman Joe Camilleri said.