Animal hospital is the first of its kind in Italy.

Construction work has got underway in Rome on the first public veterinary hospital in Italy as part of a €6.5 million expansion and redevelopment of the city's Muratella kennels.

The hospital, which is set to open in December 2026, will be the first such facility in Italy with municipal planning and funding, the city said.

The 916-sqm hospital will be located mainly on the first floor of the existing central Muratella shelter, as well as on the ground floor of the adjacent building.

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The facility will include operating rooms, an intensive care unit, a post-surgery area and diagnostic laboratories, while three new buildings will provide 30 additional dog kennels.

Hailing the start of the construction works as a "historic day", Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Wednesday said the city "will finally have a public veterinary hospital that it did not have".

Ospedale veterinario pubblico, avviati i lavori. Sarà la prima struttura pubblica d'Italia e avrà tre spazi: area pronto soccorso con infermeria; sale operatorie; area degenza post–chirurgica, terapia intensiva e laboratorio analisi.

Info qui https://t.co/smga7veKdz pic.twitter.com/M7kJw1PSCu

— Roma (@Roma) February 26, 2025

Gualtieri said that the medical facilities will be used primarily for the care of the many dogs and cats in the capital's care before it seeks to rehome the animals.

The city also plans to open the hospital to low-income Rome citizens, "starting with those who adopt animals through municipal kennels and cat shelters", the mayor said.

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"We must measure the ambitions of opening the hospital to everyone with the resources available - Gualtieri added - "The more we can strengthen partnerships with universities and local health authorities, and perhaps the more we can count on the generosity of private individuals, the more this facility will be available to the city."

For more details see the city website.