MALTA BUDGET 2008 ... FOR ANIMALS.

From the Budget Speech:

Ħarsien ta’ l-Annimali
Matul din is-sena kelli l-okkażjoni li niltaqa’ ma’ numru ta’
voluntiera li jaħdmu fil-qasam tal-ħarsien ta’ l-annimali. Irrid
nirringrazzjahom għax-xogħol volontarju li jagħmlu b’tant
dedikazzjoni u impenn. Hawnhekk, nixtieq inħabbar li
qegħdin nivvutaw is-somma ta’ 150,000 lira (€349,400) biex
ngħinu lill-għaqdiet volontarji f’pajjiżna fit-tmexxija ta’
faċilitajiet fejn jinżammu annimali abbandunati. Flimkien
ma’ l-NGOs se nkunu qed nimplimentaw ukoll inizjattiva li
tikkontrolla l-ammont ta’ annimali abbandunati fit-toroq
tagħna. Issa li ġie approvat il-permess, se jinbeda wkoll ixxogħol
fuq ċentru f’Ta’ Qali li se jkun qed jiġbor fih għadd ta’
faċilitajiet moderni għall-annimali, li jinkludu after-care clinic
u boarding kennels.

The Budget was presented in Parliament yesterday.
In the budget, there is LM 150,000 voted for NGOs working for animals. An improvement over last year, certainly.
Together with NGOs the government will be taking initiatives to control the number of abandoned animals.

Now, one hopes that the money which is being devoted for NGOs working for animals will be equitably distributed, and not to just one 'animal association' only, such as the ill-reputed SPCA.

Also, one has to see what the government means with regard to initiatives to control the number of abandoned animals. Education and spaying is one thing, to kill animals on sight, is quite another.

We have to wait and see.