The Nationalist Party has accused the government of discriminating between dogs. 

The shadow minister for animal welfare, Janice Chetcuti, said it was unacceptable that the minimum space allocation for dogs kept in animal welfare shelters was smaller than that for dogs kept elsewhere.

She observed that according to a legal notice that the Opposition is challenging, dogs in sanctuaries, boarding kennels or pet shops may be kept in a minimum space of three square metres for the biggest dogs, which was less than allowed for other locations, and totally inadequate.

"Every dog, independently of where it lives, should have the basic right of adequate space where to live," Chetcuti said.   

It urged the government to support the sanctuaries to ensure they had enough support and means to keep the dogs.