Copyright maltatoday
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana announced a series of new measures to enhance animal welfare in Malta as part of the 2026 Budget. In the coming year, work will begin on the construction of a new crematorium and a modern rehoming centre for stray animals, which will also include shelter facilities for horses. Preparations are also underway for the opening of the new animal hospital, which is expected to begin operations in the coming weeks, Caruana said. In the meantime, the government will introduce an out-of-hours veterinary service to provide care during atypical hours — between 8pm and 8am — as well as on Sundays and public holidays. The Ta’ Qali animal hospital was meant to be reopened in 2024, as Education Minister Clifton Grima, as well as Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo had stated that veterinary students would carry out their studies there. The hospital has been closed since 18 August, 2023. In September, a dog owner was among the latest to raise concerns over the lack of animal emergency services after her two-year-old dog died. Stefanie Axisa was unable to find care for her sick dog, as she expressed her heart-breaking story on social media. The family also criticised the official animal emergency hotline. They explained that callers are warned of a €5 charge to continue, but stated that even after agreeing, the call rang once before being cut off.
