A dog that had been rescued from squalid conditions but somehow ended up back with its original owners has been confiscated once again.
The Pomeranian was picked up by Animal Welfare officials on Tuesday morning, according to an animal rights activist following the case.
Authorities are investigating Facebook claims that Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo bypassed procedures and handed the confiscated dog for adoption to a woman in Gozo, his electoral district.
Refalo has categorically denied the claim.
The regulations say confiscated dogs cannot be handed over for adoption until court proceedings involving the owner are exhausted.
However, they can be handed over for temporary fostering.
In the case of the Pomeranian, the woman in Gozo eventually handed the dog to another woman, also in Gozo.
Activist Maxine Borg has said the Pomeranian had ended up back with the person it had been confiscated from, partially because Refalo had facilitated the adoption of the dog without following the appropriate procedures.
She said the dog should have never been put up for adoption once it was still the subject of a court case and should have therefore only been eligible for fostering.
On Tuesday she said the dog had since been picked up by the authorities.
The Pomeranian was one of 21 dogs that were confiscated from a house in Pieta' after they were found to be living in squalid conditions.
Puppies found at the property were covered in urine and faeces and were believed to be suffering from parvovirus.
Typically, when a dog is adopted through the animal welfare department, potential adopters are asked about their experience with them and their lifestyle to determine whether the dog is going to a good home. They are then interviewed and in some cases, home checks are carried out to make sure the environment is adequate for a pet.
Borg is alleging that this process was bypassed completely.
“This poor dog ended up being returned to a person who kept her in abusive conditions," she said.
In reply to questions sent by Times of Malta, a ministry spokesperson said that Refalo categorically denied taking any animals confiscated by the welfare directorate and giving them to members of the public in Gozo, or anywhere else.