Animal sanctuaries are being regularised through a draft legal notice that will make a licence mandatory and implement a series of checks to control the conditions in which animals are kept.

Sale of animals in open air or street markets is banned

Published earlier this month in the Government Gazette, the draft legal notice is open for consultation until February 13.

Sanctuaries – including those that already are up and running – would have to apply for a licence, which has to be renewed annually following an inspection by the authorities.

The licence would specify the species of authorised animals that can be kept in the sanctuary.

An animal register must also be kept that includes the details of the person recording the animal, its arrival date, its source – whether it was captured, donated or transferred – its description, vaccination, microchip and pet licence number.

When the animal is adopted or transferred, a record of the date of adoption, details of the new owner and microchip number must be taken.

On arrival at the sanctuary, the animals must be kept in isolation for a week to allow owners to reclaim them or undergo a veterinary examination. Once transferred to the sanctuary, they must be micro-chipped, recorded and registered with the authorities.

There are also a number of conditions related to how animals must be kept in captivity to safeguard their welfare.

SPCA Malta president Barbara Cassar Torregiani said she was “quite happy” with the end result.

“However, I hope there will be a proper inspection of premises and procedures before licences are granted, and regular, informed, follow-up monitoring by the welfare department,” she said.

Ms Cassar Torregiani said it was unfortunate that registered voluntary groups that take care of animals were never inspected by the Voluntary Commission.

The Resources Ministry also issued a draft legal notice for pet shops that requires detailed record-keeping for all animals – including the supplier’s name and contact, the markings and means of identification and the date of delivery, birth and mortality records.

The draft notice also makes a licence mandatory for pet shop owners. A ministry spokesman explained that new shop owners will have to apply for a licence but those who already own one would have to attend a training course to come in line.

Sale of animals in open air or street markets is banned, with the exception of a number of birds, such as budgies, canaries and lovebirds, listed in the draft law.

Animals cannot be sold to people younger than 16 without the written consent of the parents and cannot be placed on display outside a pet shop.

Pet shops cannot stock or sell animals that are not listed in the licence without approval from the authorities and have to keep the animals – where possible – in single units, with the exception of litters.