Animal Rights Anton Refalo has contradicted the reasoning given by his own Permanent Secretary as to why the Ta’ Qali animal hospital remains closed.

Malta's only 24/7 animal hospital, located in Ta' Qali, remains closed after two months, due to what an Animal Rights' Ministry official had told The Malta Independent was 'extensive damage.'

The animal hospital, called the APH Veterinary Hospital, has been temporarily closed since 18 August, leaving pet owners and animal welfare NGOs concerned about the wellbeing of animals under their care.

However, Refalo told Parliament on Wednesday that the veterinary professional who was operating the hospital had notified that her license would lapse after 31 August – just under two weeks before the hospital shut down.

Refalo said that a license for a veterinary establishment to operate as an animal hospital can only be given to someone who has a warrant to practice as a veterinary doctor.

The Animal Welfare Commissioner, Alison Bezzina, last month said she had been informed by the Ministry for Animal Rights that the hospital was closed as a result of the damage caused to electricity cables while road work was taking place nearby.

Enemalta told The Malta Independent that it "received a fault report on 18th August at 7am. A team was immediately dispatched to repair an aerial line that had been damaged." It said that within three hours of the call, the fault was repaired.

Asked why the animal hospital remains closed, Animal Rights' Ministry Permanent Secretary Sharlo Camilleri acknowledged that the Enemalta works had been completed, but told The Malta Independent that the electrical surges which caused the hospitals' temporary closure had also caused "extensive damage" inside the hospital and that the hospital's operator must first go through administrative processes, such as insurance consultations, before the hospital can reopen.

The Permanent Secretary continued that the hospital's operator is now going through the necessary administrative processes.

It remains unclear when the animal hospital will be reopened.

As reported by this newsroom on October 1st, 2023. Since this temporary closure, people who require urgent care for their animals have been left to hope that a veterinarian is available during the time of any sudden incident.

The Animal Welfare Commissioner had also told this newsroom that "a significant number of the licensed veterinary clinics in Malta still lack essential diagnostic capabilities, such as x-rays and ultrasounds" and that most of them do not offer the overnight care that APH does.