People who want a pet are being encouraged to adopt a cat or a dog rather than buy one, as there are hundreds living in shelters across the island.
‘Adopt, don’t buy’ will be the theme of a campaign soon to be launched by the Animal Welfare Commission to ease the pressure on shelters that currently house some 200 dogs and about 1,000 cats.
The awareness campaign will consist of 10 different 30-second video clips that will be aired on television.
“The animals in the clips are actually those that are available for adoption at Animal Welfare’s sanctuary in Għammieri,” said Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina.
She noted that the state-run rehoming centre in Għammieri also depends on volunteers, who together with employees handle everything – from feeding and cleaning the animals to the adoptions – which is why they sometimes take long to handle an adoption request.
Before allowing a person to adopt an animal, volunteers ask questions to ensure they are placing the animal in good hands, Bezzina explained as she urged patience from people seeking to adopt.
As the world marks World Animal Day today, Bezzina, who took on the role of animal welfare commissioner at the end of 2020, noted that she had long been calling for increased space at Għammieri.
Stray dogs are being turned away from the sanctuary because it is already housing double the number of animals it has capacity for.
The lack of space at the shelter, which is run by the Animal Welfare Directorate, was described in the directorate’s annual report as one of the major factors hindering the directorate’s operations
“The space is being increased but it’s slow on delivery. This leads to situations where only injured animals can be rescued and others are left roaming the streets,” Bezzina said.
The government has promised to provide additional space by the end of the year.
Another pressing issue is the need to regulate and control breeding.
“We can have all the space in the world but if we don’t stop the flow from the top, it will never be enough,” she pointed out.
The directorate’s report had also flagged the lack of staff and the reliance on volunteers.
To adopt an animal as a pet, phone 2292 8615.