The ground-breaking ceremony of the new pet care facility in Hulhumalé Phase II, has been inaugurated.

First Lady Sajida Mohamed inaugurated the ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday evening.

The initial foundation for the new pet care facility was laid by FL Sajidha and Malé City Mayor Adam Azim.

The facility is being constructed with an aim to provide shelter for the stray cat population in public spaces including parks, streets and other areas in the Greater Malé Region.

Once the facility is unveiled, it will provide shelter and protection for cats from harm, injuries as well as diseases.

It will be a haven for strays to thrive in.

The facility will feature multiple amenities including a play area, clinic, pharmacy, lab, shelter as well as sufficient medical treatment, all under one roof.

In addition to this, the facility will ensure high-quality medical treatment is provided to domestic cats as well.

It is an endeavor to offer a long-term solution to the issues stemming from strays being neglected in the region.

The establishment of a facility to ensure animal welfare is among President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s presidential pledges.

This comes at a time the issue of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) “removing” cats from Hulhumalé Phase II without notifying the relevant authorities, recently came into the spotlight.

Local NGO Welfare for Island Cats (WIC) revealed that they were informed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, after confirming with HDC, that the cats were relocated to another residential area in Phase II, after they were removed from the Hiyaa towers. However, the NGO notes that the exact location the strays were taken to, remains unclear.

In a statement released regarding the issue, WIC stressed that it is worrying since this comes after a post on social media platform ‘X’, now deleted, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare regarding a meeting between Ministers of State for Agriculture and Animal Welfare Ahmed Hassan Didi and Mariyam Vishama Ahmed, and officials of HDC who are to have discussed collaborative efforts to “reduce” the stray cat population in Hulhumalé.

WIC stresses that the choice of word “reduce” is concerning, particularly from a ministry that should be promoting and advocating for animal welfare.

It has also been confirmed that cats have been disappearing "without a trace" in capital Malé City and outlying islands alike.

The organization has also called to enhance the animal welfare laws and regulations of the island nation, to improve the process of monitoring such practices.