PN MP details emotional experience to call out seven-month wait for animal hospital to reopen

Nationalist MP Darren Carabott has questioned why the animal hospital in Ta’ Qali has remained closed more than seven months after its “temporary closure.”

“The reality is that right we have not had an animal hospital in this country for more than seven months,” Carabott told the House.

The APH Veterinary Hospital has been temporarily closed since 18th August 2023, with the government citing extensive damage caused to electricity cables during road works for the closure.  

The Nationalist MP recounted the final hours of his beloved 13-year-old dog, Pippa, to underscore the gravity of the situation.

Darren Carabott with Pippa

“It was around 8pm and I came home to my parents with tears in their eyes. We realised there was a problem with Pippa – her breath was getting heavier and something was clearly wrong,” he said. “At that moment we had to take the decision on whether to end her suffering. It is an experience felt by many people in the country.”

He explained how he and his family had nowhere to go, as it was late and all vets were closed.

“You do not know whether your pet will suffer through the night. But the reality we face in this country is that we do not have a 24/7 facility where to take out pets,” he said.

The MP quoted a directive issued during a parliamentary committee meeting last year, which underscored government’s commitment to animal welfare. “Clearly that commitment is not there.”

The MP demanded the issue be resolved as soon as possible.

He concluded by reading out a poem to those present which he had written during the final moments of Pippa’s life.