4 comments so far.Gozo SPCA faces closure as new premises fail to materialise
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The Gozo SPCA has said that it regrets that it will not be holding its annual fund-raising Flag Week this year. The Society said that this decision has been taken unanimously by the management committee because of the uncertain future of the Society, which was founded in 1976.
To date and after many years of fruitless negotiations with the Ministry for Gozo, no land has yet been officially ear-marked as a site for the new premises which the Society so desperately needs. If it is to continue caring for the abandoned animals of Gozo, the Society said it needs premises which will be compliant with the regulations applying to Animal Sanctuaries within the Animal Welfare Act, which the Gozo SPCA understands will be enacted in the very near future.
The Society said it cannot continue working from its current very small, cramped and inadequate premises in Victoria and a complete closure of Gozo SPCA is one of the options under consideration, if the authorities concerned do not give a final answer in the very near future.
The Society said that it thanks the public for the loyal and generous support given to its fund raising Flag Week during past years (last year over €10,000 was raised in Flag Week), however as a mark of respect for that support, Gozo SPCA Chairman Joseph Camilleri said that the Society cannot justify collecting money during Flag Week, when there are no definititive prospects of new premises in view.
For the time being Gozo SPCA said it is operating a limited service, caring for cats, kittens and injured or sick dogs from its Victoria premises.
For further information contact info@spca-gozo.org or 21553769.
The photograph shows one of the Gozo SPCA animals awaiting rehoming.
This is so disgusting, I cannot believe that the Ministry for Gozo is still procrastinating about giving permission for the SPCA to build an animal sanctuary!
It is surely to their advantage to have such a sanctuary – isn’t it?
Do they not care about the bad publicity they are getting?
Are they not perturbed by the promises that have been broken?
The blatant lies that have been told?
Are there other criteria, such as lack of ‘commissions’ offered, at work behind the scenes?
It really is about time that the present minister resigns and gets on with counting her pension and lets someone who truly cares abot Gozo take over. She is an embarrassment to the Island.
Yes true some ministers are only concerned about their image and smiling on the local media, until it concerns them or dishing out any monies for a good cause.
If it weren’t for the foreigners caring for these animals, most of the dogs and cats would be roaming the streets of Gozo, and believe me since I have been living on this islands i have seen quite a few strays, some even crossing dangerous roads that could cause accidents, not forgetting the hundreds of ripped up garbage plastic bags left over night.
I fully agree with you Lesley
It won’t be long until we will hear that Minister Giovanna Debono has met the SPCA and given them a piece of land to build on, but, that won’t be till the next general election gets closer.
All you SPCA members make a note of this PLEASE
Shame on you Lesley! However could you be so cynical?
Of course the Ministry cares about publicity and its citizens.
There is no way it would wish to return to the time when packs of dogs roamed the streets of Gozo and scared off thousands of tourists.
I am sure that the Gozo hospital will be able to cope with the extra work.
I hardly think the Ministry for Gozo would break promises made, ask for commissions or tell lies, although anything is possible in the light of the Sliema mayors request for a ‘commission’.
The senior people at the ministry are, after all, merely servants employed in well paid jobs do the will of those who elected them,
I feel that rather than procrastination, the ministry are probably concerned about ‘Getting it Right’, and this is something that requires much thought, even if some people do die of old age whilst the proposals are thoroughly examined.
In conclusion therefore I can only compliment the minister for her determination, in the face of mounting hostility, and inevitable loss of votes and tourist Euros, to let this matter take its proper course and in the ‘fullness of time’ and possibly even in her lifetime, get satisfactorily resolved.