The San Franġisk animal care centre, in Ta’ Qali, which was closed for refurbishment last year, should open as an animal hospital this summer, the Times of Malta has learnt.

The centre had closed its doors when the contract with the original service provider expired and, in September, the Secretariat for Animal Welfare had announced APH Ltd was taking over following a public call.

Considered by many to be an animal hospital, the centre did not, however, have a licence to operate as such, according to a secretariat spokesman.

The secretariat took the opportunity to turn San Franġisk into the first fully-fledged animal hospital in Malta

“With the expiry of the service provider’s contract, the secretariat took the opportunity to turn San Franġisk into the first fully-fledged animal hospital in Malta,” he said, noting that the planning authority had approved the change-of-use application in February.

Refurbishment started following the planning authority’s clearance and APH Ltd director Keith Attard told this newspaper the hospital would be opening its doors between June and July, providing a 24/7 service.

Work was delayed because of some faults, he added.

The secretariat spokesman noted that, over the past days, workers found “bad workmanship that was carried out when the centre was built”.

An engineer’s report, which raised issues relating to the sewage and rainwater system, speaks of possible water backflow and overflowing into the building, a situation that has “apparently been reported during major rainstorms”.

The 24-hour centre, which was built with €420,000 of public funds, was opened in October 2010. In 2013, the vet running the centre was accused of breaching his contract with the government and squabbling ensued between the two sides over a customer review exercise.

Last year, the secretariat said it wanted to see the centre more accessible to everyone, especially NGOs and volunteers who worked within the animal care sector.