A foreign millionaire has deposited money for a “state-of-the-art” re-homing sanctuary for dogs and cats, Malta’s first Animal Welfare Commissioner, Emmanual Buhagiar has revealed.

In an interview in today’s edition of The Malta Independent, Mr Buhagiar says the unknown person has chosen to remain anonymous for the time-being.

He explains that his dream is for the facility to be located close to the Ta’ Qali animal hospital, creating a “hub” for animals, considering the dog park that is also located in the vicinity.

The money has been deposited into a Central Bank of Malta account, after being approved by the Ministry of Finance. People wishing to donate money for the cause can do so by using the account number displayed after the full interview on pages 6 and 7.

Commissioner Buhagiar hopes that in the future the re-homing centre would not need any funding from the government, and that a monthly deposit of money by this anonymous animal-lover, supplemented with public donations, would be enough to cover the costs.

Curiously, the millionaire has not committed himself to donating money for a specific period of time, leading one to presume that the arrangement is indefinite, at least for the time being.

In the full interview, Mr Buhagiar discusses the progress the animal welfare sector has made, the investigation he commissioned into the death of Valletta celebrity feline Masha, and how the department was unjustly criticised.

He also opens up about the frustration people face when filing a report regarding animal abuse in the law-courts and the impression that many times, the perpetrators of animal cruelty are given softer penalties than what is expected.