Star, the dog found bound and buried with a gunshot wound to her head, seems to be on the mend. She is walking and back to her friendly self, oblivious to the outpouring of concern from all corners of the world.
To jog the mind, one must remember that Star was found with her legs and muzzle bound, buried, with only her snout above the surface. She had a terrible shotgun wound inflicted at short range and she was left to die. It is truly inconceivable cruelty. By chance, the Animal Welfare Department members were investigating another case close by and they found her, took her to hospital and cleaned her up, giving her rest and TLC. By some form of miracle, it worked and she is recovering. But perhaps even more astonishing is the fact that Star has been extremely friendly from the word go. Even as the AWD rescued her, she wagged her tail to greet them and greets everyone that goes to see her.
Star’s case, we are beginning to learn, is not an isolated one. There is a lot of cruelty to animals that goes on around Malta and Gozo. It is horrible and we do lag behind. But we should not believe that we are the only country in the world to have such problems. Only recently, stories surfaced in the UK and Poland about puppies being hurled into rivers, cats being dropped into rubbish bins and more.
Star’s case has caught the attention of people around the world, from Canada to Germany and Australia, but this is where we make a plea. In the past, maltreated dogs were sometimes shipped off to other countries around the world for a new life with a new family. This is all positive, after all a loving home is more than any dog could ask for. But there are many animal lovers in Malta who literally treat their dogs like their own children. They are made to be part of the family. In this instance, Star should be adopted by a loving Maltese family. First of all, there have been several local people who have expressed great interest in doing so, and secondly, it sends the message that most Maltese people do love animals and treat them with compassion and respect.
On the other hand, it is disappointing to note that it is only when such horrific cases come to light that people start talking about animal rights and wrongs. But now in 2011 as a supposedly modern EU state, we should have enough social conscience to fight such abuse at all times. The members of the Animal Welfare Department are stars in their own right, but they need more help and support from the general public.