The Animal Welfare Fund has been given a €30,000 boost, Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo has announced

The fund was set at €85,000 for the year, but this will be increased to €115,680. A massive €57,500 was dished out yesterday. Fifteen NGOs will stand to benefit and a further 30% increase is expected to be awarded in May.

The NGOs were initially set to get just 30% of the fund this month. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the government to reconsider.

Animal sanctuaries have been hit hard by the outbreak of the virus and subsequent partial lockdown.

While animal sanctuaries still remain open, the decision to close all non-essential stores has significantly impacted businesses in more ways than one. Their funding often depends on charity shops which have since closed.

What do you think of this increased funding?