Construction of the eagerly awaited animal welfare centre in Ta' Qali, which will offer a safe haven for strays, will be finished within six months, a Rural Ministry spokesman confirmed yesterday.
The €300,000 project will be the answer to the prayers of animal organisations that are stretched to the limit as the number of abandoned and maltreated animals ceases to abate.
The spokesman said the area, covering 850 square metres, had been excavated and the foundations laid. It is easily accessible but at the same time sufficiently remote from residential areas.
The aftercare centre will mainly cater for the rehabilitation and convalescence of stray cats and dogs brought in for surgery or treatment. The centre includes a vet clinic, and a pharmacy, among others.
The government has long been criticised for failing to tackle the problem of strays in Malta but over the weekend there was an uproar again when dog lover Rennie Scicluna was imprisoned for failing to pay off his fines. He has since been released.
Although Mr Scicluna had illegally transformed the derelict building in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq into a makeshift sanctuary, some people were upset that the person who was trying to resolve the problem was being persecuted.
While some criticised Mr Scicluna as an uncouth person, others came out in his favour saying he was one of the few people who turned up to pick up strays in distress whenever they called, because other organisations were chock-a-block.
The opening of the welfare centre should address some of the issues, because injured strays could be picked up, taken to Ta' Qali and treated by the vets on site, at the government's expense.
Each animal would have its own file opened complete with its history and the vet who treated it, and a photo of the stray will be put up at the reception in the hope of finding someone to adopt it.
The animals will remain at the centre until they have fully recovered. If they are not homed they will be moved to another section within the centre to be run by non-governmental organisations.