Updated: Reasons for animal hospital review explained - Centre operator explains position

The Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Welfare, Roderick Galdes, this morning explained the reasons for the customer service review of the San Frangisk animal centre. He said that when the Animal Hospital Project was launched by former Minister George Pullicino in 2010, the minister had said that services to the Animal Welfare Department would be provided free of charge, but that was not the case as the Animal Welfare Department was spending €80,000 each year on strays treated at the centre. Furthermore, although charges to the pet owners and NGOs were supposed to be 'affordable' there had been complaints that they were too high. Mr Galdes said the government wanted to face problems head on. The review, he said, would be held by a private company over the phone among a sample of 500 people. The public would be able to comment online and through e-mails. An e-mail address and an online form will be provided at a later stage. The press conference was held outside the centre, in spite of the repeated invitation and insistence of centre director Trevor Zammit, for it to be held inside. Dr Zammit has filed an official letter in the first hall of the Civil Court to stop the review. Mr...