A €300,000 animal aftercare centre being built in Ta’ Qali will be operational in 2010, Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said this morning.
Mr Pullicino spoke about the plans for the cente at a meeting with the media and animal welfare activists this morning. He said that the 500-square metre centre would provide rehabilitation for injured strays and privately owned animals.
In the case of privately owned animals, a nominal fee would be charged to go towards covering the cost of the centre, which would take up to 50 animals.
The centre, the first building in Malta to be a landscaper - a low lying building partly underground, would have an isolation room, a ward for exotic animals, a kennel area, administrative facilities and a waste management area.
The minister stressed that this was not a sanctuary, and the animals would be returned to owners or sanctuaries after rehabilitation.