The Maltese hunting dog can now be registered and issued with a pedigree certificate, the hunters' federation FKNK has announced. 

As an added bonus, the certificate will be made available free of charge.

Official recognition would ensure that the breed remained genetically sound, the FKNK said in a statement. 

The FKNK has been lobbying for the recognition of the Maltese hunting dog [Kelb tal-kaċċa ta' Malta] since 2010, when it established the Maltese hunting dogs club. 

READ: Hunting dog is pure Maltese, study finds

An FKNK-commissioned study published last year by veterinarians James Galea and Martin Debattista confirmed that the dog is a pure breed and unique to the Maltese islands. 

Earlier this year, a Maltese hunting dog won an international prize at a show by the Maltese National Canine Federation (MNCF). With the breed now having been officially recognised, owners of Maltese hunting dogs can now sign up to compete in MNCF shows free-of-charge. 

Photo: FKNKPhoto: FKNK

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.