Two heartbreaking pet deaths have reignited outrage over Malta’s failed emergency veterinary care, as authorities host animal welfare events while the Islands remain without a functioning 24/7 animal hospital.
Two grieving pet owners have reignited public outrage over Malta’s crumbling emergency veterinary system – a problem that has persisted for years despite repeated government pledges, growing public anger, and numerous animal welfare campaigns. Their stories paint a bleak picture of a country where pets in distress face unanswered calls, closed clinics, and a system that collapses exactly when it’s needed most.
“We lost our daughter”
At dawn, Stefanie Axisa’s two-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pixie, began vomiting violently. Within minutes, there was blood everywhere. Panicked, Axisa dialled every veterinary number she could find between 6:00am and 7:30am, including one listed as a 24-hour emergency service. Not a single call was answered. She even messaged her personal vet at 7:30, but by the time she reached a clinic that finally opened at 9:00am, it was already too late for Pixie.
“She had all her vaccines, she was healthy and full of life,” Axisa said, holding back tears. “We did everything right, but when it mattered most, no one was there. The system failed her, and us.”
Her emotional post on social media went viral, with hundreds of pet owners echoing the same frustration: emergency lines that go unanswered, clinics that refuse walk-ins, and a lack of any centralised, functioning emergency network. “It’s 2025, and we still don’t have an animal hospital,” one comment read. “Still no one to call at night when your pet is dying.”
“They just watched him die”
For Malone Camilleri, the nightmare struck late one evening when his eight-year-old Belgian Malinois accidentally swallowed a Kong toy during play. The dog began choking around 9:15pm. Camilleri immediately tried to clear his airway and perform CPR, while simultaneously calling 112 and nearby veterinary clinics. No one answered. In desperation, he rushed to a veterinary clinic advertising 24/7 emergency services – one that he believed was his last hope.
When he arrived, however, the response left him speechless. “They said there was nothing they could do. They didn’t even try,” he told The Maltese Herald. “They just stood there, watching, until I managed to pull the toy out myself, but it was too late. He died in front of me.”
Camilleri said the experience left him traumatised, not only by the loss of his dog but by the indifference he encountered. “The clinic’s website claims they’re open for emergencies. That night, they were closing their doors.” The clinic in question was contacted by The Maltese Herald for comment but did not reply.
A system in crisis
These are not isolated tragedies. For nearly two years, Malta has been without a national veterinary hospital. The Ta’ Qali Animal Hospital – once the island’s only 24-hour emergency facility – was shut down in August 2023 after a power surge caused extensive damage. What was initially described as a temporary closure has stretched into a two-year stalemate, leaving both pet owners and animal rescuers stranded without a reliable emergency option.
Earlier this year, the Ministry for Agriculture and Animal Rights announced a “temporary emergency vet scheme” in collaboration with the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council. The scheme, meant to rotate clinics providing after-hours coverage across Malta and Gozo, was touted as stopgap solution until Ta’ Qali reopens. But the rollout has been plagued by delays, poor participation, and logistical confusion. Several veterinarians have said that the €200-per-shift compensation offered to participating clinics “barely covers operational costs,” resulting in inconsistent availability and gaps in coverage.
Veterinary professionals have criticised the government’s handling of the crisis, accusing authorities of rushing to announce solutions without consulting practitioners. “You can’t fix a system that has collapsed with a Facebook post,” one vet said anonymously. “It’s not about PR – it’s about infrastructure, coordination, and accountability.”
Even as the crisis deepens, the government continues to promote high-profile public events celebrating animal welfare, such as Festa Annimali, Pet Fun Day in Gozo, and the annual Animal Honours Awards. These are colourful, family-friendly occasions filled with shows, workshops, and speeches praising Malta’s commitment to animal rights.
But animal welfare advocates argue that such events ring hollow when emergency care remains broken. “It’s surreal,” said one NGO representative. “We’re hosting pet parades and handing out trophies while animals are dying for lack of a vet. The money spent on tents, music, and medals could fund an emergency hotline or a triage centre at Ta’ Qali.”
Calls for accountability
The Opposition has sharply criticised the government for allowing the hospital to remain closed for what it says is “an unforgivable length of time.” In a recent statement, the Nationalist Party reiterated its pledge to reopen and expand the facility, describing it as “the only lifeline for pet owners during critical hours.” The PN argues that the prolonged closure , now more than 26 months, has already cost many animals their lives and left owners living in fear of late-night emergencies.
Veterinary professionals, meanwhile, are calling for a long-term solution that removes politics from animal healthcare entirely. “We need a national emergency network run by professionals, not politicians,” said PN vet candidate Andrew Agius. “Every minute counts in an emergency. We shouldn’t still be debating this in 2025.”
There have been some positive developments. New regulations for pet grooming establishments and sitters have been rolled out, with 25 groomers now registered under the Directorate for the Welfare of Animals. Officials say the aim is to ensure higher professional standards and safeguard pet wellbeing – a move widely welcomed by the industry. Still, animal rights advocates note that while regulation is a step forward, it doesn’t address the system’s core problem: access to emergency medical care when lives are at stake.
Two years after the closure of Malta’s only animal hospital, the country’s emergency veterinary system remains fragmented, underfunded, and largely ineffective. Hotlines go unanswered, clinics close their doors, and the much-publicised emergency scheme struggles to operate. Meanwhile, celebrations and press releases paint a picture of progress that, for many pet owners, feels detached from reality.
For Stefanie Axisa, whose beloved Pixie never made it to a vet in time, the question remains painfully simple: “What’s the point of all these events and awards if, when your pet is dying, no one picks up the phone?”
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