A national campaign was launched for the repair and chipping of street cats, with an investment of €200,000 per year. This campaign will be addressing around 5000 cats per year.
These details were announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, Anton Refalo together with the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights, Alicia Bugeja Said, during news conference.
This campaign will take into account the specific needs of the various communities, and the population of cats present in the different areas. The cats will be collected by experienced trappers.
The intervention on the cats also includes any medical attention that the cats require, both before and after the repair intervention. The animals will be released in the place where they are caught, unless they are subject to danger for them.
Minister Anton Refalo reiterated that the government is continuing to invest in the area of animal protection, where through this campaign another Budget measure is being carried out. He also referred to several different initiatives that have been implemented, such as the voucher scheme that is being done in cooperation with the feeders and volunteers where this year over a thousand cats have already been repaired.
Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said stressed that this investment will lead to a more coordinated work, with a common vision and strategy, which will reach a greater amount of animals which will lead to a control of the cat population in the street. She continued that this campaign will also lead to less spread of infectious diseases among cats.
In order to make use of this service, contact the coordinator through the number 22924999 between 7:00 and 15:00 from Monday to Friday, or by email at neutering.mafa @gov.mt.
