A helping hand
€13,780 was handed out to six non-government organisations that help with animal adoption yesterday by Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Clint Camilleri.
The Tomasina Cat Sanctuary, Association for Abandoned Animals, Island Sanctuary Association, Stray Animals Support Group, Carers for Stray and Abandoned Felines and St Paul’s Bay Charity are the six NGOs that will be benefitting from these funds.
Speaking at the Tomasina Cat Sanctuary, Camilleri thanked the NGOs for their work in caring for animals, and emphasised the importance of the collaboration that these NGOs have with the Animal Welfare directorate.
The NGOs had already been benefitting from governmental funds, especially when it came to the proper treatment of these animals which are up for adoption. These funds varied according to the animal, with each cat garnering €70 in aid for instance, and older dogs gathering €130.
The funds given out yesterday also add on to €17,650 which has already been handed out to NGOs of this type in the past months, and Camilleri encouraged more NGOs to follow in the steps of these 6 groups in helping in the process of animal adoption.
He concluded by saying that the funds given out to these NGOs are just one example of the help that is being given to NGOs in recognition of the efforts and valid contributions that they do in this sector.
Speaking to this newsroom, a representative of the Tomasina Cat Sanctuary, which provides shelter to between 250 and 300 cats, said that whilst there was a lack of volunteers to help with the upkeep of the sanctuary and also the care of the cats, there is more awareness today about the sanctuary and the service it provides.
She appealed that next there needs to be more awareness about the animals themselves, and that if they are homed these animals are not simply “softtoys” that can be put on a shelf, but that there is a responsibility to keep such animals as pets and care for them in such a manner that they deserve.