The government has scrambled to address harsh criticism it received about a pet adoption scheme and has changed the €150 allowance into a reimbursement of expenses incurred for vet visits and vaccinations.
People adopting animals from sanctuaries will have to present receipts of medical check-ups and vaccinations before they can be given the maximum €150 allowance, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries & Animal Rights Clint Camilleri announced on Facebook.
The allowance, which is a key part of a new pet adoption scheme by the government, will be treated as a reimbursement of their expenses when the evidence is presented to the government, he said.
The claims can only be made after the lapse of six months since the adoption.
This is one of two changes to the scheme that the government introduced following the backlash received last week when details of the new measure were announced.
The second change will see owners being given the opportunity to gift the allowance to the sanctuary from where the pet was re-homed. This additional sum will not affect the money that sanctuaries already receive for re-homing their animals, he added.
Mr Camilleri explained that this “tweaking” of the scheme had come following “numerous emails and calls from the public, activists and sanctuaries,” expressing concerns and giving their suggestions.
The junior minister said he formed part of a govenrment that listened to people's suggestions.
The new scheme encouraging people to adopt local animals rather than import them from other countries, had come under heavy criticism last week with people pointing out that it could be abused by unscrupulous people.
Sanctuaries voiced their concerns that they would need to reassess the motives of new adopters and check whether they were adopting an animal purely for the money.
Mr Camilleri added that the animals will be micro-chipped and registered in the new owner's name so they could be traced if the animal is abandoned. The scheme also calls for checks on the owner and pet to be carried out over the six-month period.
When asked about the prospect of sanctuaries boycotting the scheme, the Junior Minister replied that while there were a number who agreed the the scheme, he had spoken to others who did not not support such a move. Mr Camilleri did not disclose which sanctuaries he had spoken to.
He said he was “positive” and “confident” that with these amendments, “the majority of sanctuaries will support the scheme.”
The junior minister also told the Times of Malta that he had instructed the Animal Welfare Department and Directorate to implement the new scheme next week.
Last week, Chris Pace from the MSPCA had told the Times of Malta that there was discussion among the sanctuaries about a possible boycott of the scheme.