Malta launches probe after dog dies without emergency vet care, sparking national outcry

Ministry to investigate vet clinics after dog dies without emergency care
By Hot Malta Staff | 09:30, 12 June 2024

A single missed phone-call has snow-balled into a national reckoning over animal welfare in Malta, after a beloved family beagle died overnight because no 24-hour veterinary clinic could see him. The Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights has now opened a formal investigation into every emergency veterinary provider on the islands, promising “concrete steps” before the summer exodus of tourists and their pets.

The case that triggered the probe involves “Charlie”, a four-year-old rescue from Gozo who started vomiting blood at 23:15 on Sunday. His owners, a young couple from Mosta, phoned five different clinics – two in the north, two in central Malta, one in Gozo – only to reach voicemail or, in one instance, a receptionist who said the on-call vet was “already in surgery” and could not leave. By 02:30 Charlie had collapsed; he was pronounced dead at 06:00 after the first clinic opened its doors.

“Maltese families don’t treat dogs as pets; they’re literally part of the household,” says Josianne Cutajar, president of the Malta Association of Veterinary Surgeons. “When a child can’t get an ambulance we call it a scandal. When a dog can’t get a vet, we call it ‘unfortunate’. That double standard ends now.”

The incident has exploded on TikTok and Facebook, where Charlie’s owners posted a tearful video that racked up 350,000 views in under 24 hours – roughly the size of Malta’s entire voting population. Comments are split between raw grief and raw anger: “We spend €400 on a weekend in Comino but we can’t staff one 24/7 animal ER?” wrote one user. Another pointed out that the Maltese word “ħabib” (friend) is routinely used for dogs, underlining their cultural status.

Local vets are feeling the heat. Dr. Karl Borg, who runs a clinic in Birkirkara, says emergency cover has always been “a gentleman’s agreement” between practices, but soaring demand and staff shortages have exposed the cracks. “We’re 110 vets for 520,000 animals, if you include hunting dogs, farm goats and the island’s exploding stray-cat population,” Borg explains. “By EU norms we should be at least 160.”

Government sources told Hot Malta the investigation will examine staffing rota gaps, response times, and whether some clinics falsely advertise “24-hour emergency” services without having a vet physically on site. The Veterinary Directorate already has powers to suspend licences, but insiders say Minister Anton Refalo is considering a legal notice that would make 24-hour cover a licence requirement – similar to the obligation on pharmacies to provide night rota.

Animal NGOs sense momentum. “We’ve lobbied for years, but Charlie’s story humanised the problem,” says Mark Galea Pace from Animal Welfare Malta. “People now realise this isn’t just about pedigree poodles in Sliema flats; it’s about farm dogs in Dingli, hunters’ hounds in Birżebbuġa, even the police canines who protect us at the airport.” Galea Pace is pushing for a centralised 177 emergency line, staffed like Mater Dei’s switchboard, that routes animal calls to the nearest available vet.

The tourism sector is watching nervously. Malta currently promotes itself as “pet-friendly” – Air Malta allows cabin dogs, and over 12,000 EU pet passports were processed in Malta last year. “If a tourist’s French bulldog dies here because no vet answered the phone, that’s a front-page story in Paris,” warns one hotelier in St Julian’s. “We can’t be Mediterranean ‘pet paradise’ on Instagram but ‘pet purgatory’ in real life.”

For Charlie’s owners, the investigation is bittersweet. “He was our first baby before we had a human one,” the mother told Hot Malta, voice cracking. “If his death means another Maltese family doesn’t go through this, then maybe Charlie’s little life had a bigger purpose.”

The Secretariat is expected to publish interim findings within 30 days. Meanwhile, a candle-lit vigil for Charlie – and for all animals failed by the system – is planned for Saturday evening in Valletta’s Upper Barrakka Gardens. In true Maltese style, the Facebook event promises “imqaret, puppies and solidarity”.