Pets in Malta

Malta’s Animal Welfare Act, Chapter 439, prohibits unnecessary pain, suffering and distress. Owners and people caring for animals are responsible for their health and welfare. Pets need suitable surroundings, sufficient food and water, appropriate shelter, protection from injury and disease, and enough freedom to show normal behaviour. Permanent tethering as a form of housing or primary keeping is prohibited for dogs, and dogs may not move freely on public roads. Housing must be secure, hygienic and large enough for the animal. Abandoning a pet is prohibited. Before acquiring an animal, check its source, identity, microchip, vaccinations, health records and ownership-transfer documents. Commercial breeding and pet shops require licensing. Adoption and fostering can be arranged through the Animal Welfare Directorate (AWD) One-Stop Shop and licensed non-governmental organisations or sanctuaries. The Veterinary Regulation Directorate (VRD), the Food Safety and Security Authority, Local Councils, authorised veterinarians and licensed animal organisations have different responsibilities within the Maltese system. Dogs must be electronically identified and licensed. The licence applicant must be at least 18 years old. After registration and microchipping, the dog licence is generally valid for the dog’s lifetime. A dog must wear a public tag showing a telephone number. An imported dog must be licensed within 90 calendar days. The owner must report a dog’s death or transfer within 7 days and a lost dog within 48 hours. Cat ownership and transfer also involve identification and licensing procedures, but dog-specific deadlines should not be applied to cats without checking the current rule. Other animals do not follow one uniform pet rule. Pet pigs have a separate licensing procedure, and animals classified as dangerous require separate registration and a keeper licence. Wild animals and conservation matters belong outside ordinary private-pet rules. An authorised veterinarian provides vaccinations, microchipping, rabies protection where required, parasite treatment and other veterinary care. Human medical services do not replace veterinary care. Pet sitting requires registration, while pet boarding requires a licence. Licensed boarding and sitting services require staff aged at least 18 with suitable qualifications, a clean conduct record, an Animal Health Control Programme, at least one Pet First Aid certificate and records kept for at least 2 years. Official standards and licences require annual renewal where applicable. When an owner can no longer keep a pet, a lawful transfer should be arranged with the present owner, new owner, identity documents, the microchip record and the licence of ownership. Adoption, fostering, a licensed sanctuary or the AWD can provide alternatives. The AWD One-Stop Shop can coordinate adoption and non-governmental organisation paperwork. Do not release an unwanted animal. A missing pet can be reported to the Microchipping Section. The AWD Animal Ambulance operates 24 hours a day primarily for sick or injured stray animals; it is not a regular collection service for private pets, and capacity may prevent collection of every found animal. In Gozo, the Adopted Pets Assistance Scheme can reimburse food costs for eligible adoptions from Animal Welfare Gozo. The application requires identification, a Pet Patient Number and a microchip, and the animal must have been sterilised. The published process takes approximately 1 day for the first step, 3 days for the next step, 3 days for a further check and up to 20 days for processing. For private travel within the European Union, dogs, cats and ferrets generally need a microchip implanted before a valid rabies vaccination, an EU Pet Passport and compliance with the applicable waiting period. A primary rabies vaccination can be given from 12 weeks of age, followed by a waiting period of at least 21 days. Private travel is generally limited to 5 animals. Dogs entering Malta usually need treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis 24 to 120 hours before entry, except when travelling directly from Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland. Travel from outside the European Union may require an EU Animal Health Certificate issued by the competent official veterinary authority no more than 10 days before arrival, and sometimes a rabies antibody test followed by a 3-month waiting period. The animal may need to enter through a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry and undergo document and identity checks with a non-commercial declaration. Unaccompanied travel or a change of ownership can place the movement under import or trade rules. An EU Pet Passport covers only dogs, cats and ferrets. Birds, reptiles, rodents, rabbits and ornamental fish require separate checks under Maltese or VRD rules. Costs depend on the animal and the case and can include licensing, microchipping, vaccinations, veterinary treatment, transport, boarding, quarantine and antibody testing. Check current forms, fees and deadlines with the responsible Maltese authority or an authorised veterinarian before acting.