Agriculture and Animal Welfare Minister Dr Mariyam Mariya informed the Parliament on Wednesday that the Olhu Hiya pet shelter in Hulhumalé Phase 2 was not ready to accommodate animals when it was transferred to the ministry in February.

The 5,000 sq ft facility, developed as a pet care centre, was handed over on February, 26, 2025. Despite its unprepared state, 15 cats were relocated to the shelter within 16 hours of the transfer, Dr Mariya said.

Originally overseen by the former Ministry of Animal Welfare and handed to Malé City Council in December 2024, the shelter is now under the Agriculture and Animal Welfare Ministry. Responding to queries by the lawmakers, Minister Dr Mariya stated that the transfer was initiated following the City Council’s failure to uphold the agreed terms of managing and maintaining the pet shelter.

Minister Dr Mariya stressed the need for parliamentary support to address broader pet welfare issues and called for the swift passage of the Animal Welfare Bill, which proposes mandatory neutering of imported cats and restrictions on breeding.

She also outlined the shelter’s cost projections: MVR 5,416 per cat annually, totalling MVR 10.8 million for 2,000 cats each year, with setup costs expected to reach MVR 1.2 billion.

Olhu Hiya includes a clinic, pharmacy, laboratory, and housing space for stray cats, aiming to address the long-standing issue of cat overpopulation in the Greater Malé Region.