Male’ City Council to Transfer Pet Care Facility and Recover Costs

The Malé City Council has announced its decision to recover the costs associated with developing the ‘Olhu Hiyaa’ pet care facility in Hulhumalé, and to transfer to the Animal Welfare Ministry.

The facility was built to address the growing stray cat population in the capital under an agreement between the council and the ministry. Construction began on March 19 on a 5,000-square-foot plot in the Farukolhufushi area of Hulhumale’ Phase II. The facility officially opened on November 2.

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Initially, the council planned to start relocating stray cats to the facility this week. However, the ministry issued a directive on Tuesday to suspend the transfer, citing the council’s non-compliance with certain instructions. The ministry also formally requested that the council hand over the facility.

During a meeting held on Wednesday, Mayor Adam Azim emphasised that significant resources had been allocated by the city council for the project.

“We need to recover the money we spent. This was financed from the city council’s budget without additional funding. Our staff worked hard to make this a reality, and the facility is now ready to host cats,” Azim stated.

Azim also highlighted the persistent challenges posed by stray cats in Male’, including complaints from residents about cat litter on the streets. “Allowing the stray cats to roam freely after we have invested heavily in this facility is highly irresponsible,” he added.

Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh proposed transferring the facility to the ministry while ensuring the council recoups its expenses. “This council has fulfilled all its obligations. If the ministry wants the facility, the council should recover the funds it spent. The expenditure came entirely from our budget,” Nareesh said.

The proposal received unanimous support from the council members present at the meeting.

The council expressed its commitment to cooperating with the government while stressing the importance of responsible utilisation of public funds.