A 10-year-old boy was killed by a pack of stray dogs that attacked him in nearby Sicily earlier this week. One can imagine the shock of such a cruel death, and the controversy that erupted all over Italy following the incident. For one thing, it was estimated that there are up to one million stray dogs roaming across the whole of Italy, and the public is currently debating what to do in such a situation.

In Malta, we seem to have a similar problem, although on a much smaller scale. But we do need to tackle the issue, as otherwise we run the risk of facing a similar scenario to that of Italy. Fortunately, so far, no deaths have ensued following attacks on humans by packs of dogs, but we should not wait until it happens before we lift a finger.

Dogs are considered to be man’s best friend and, in most cases, they are. Many dogs are well-taken care of by hundreds of families. Lonely people find, in their dogs (and other pets) a treasure of warmth, companionship and even love. Yet, if abandoned and living in a far-from-domesticated environment, dogs can become wild too.

Last week, a number of dogs were removed from public property in Floriana which squatters were using as an animal sanctuary. It is, apparently, not a one-off case as Mario Spiteri, director of animal welfare, explained that some people simply move the dogs from one place to another, often occupying these places in an illegal manner.

It is a complex issue. Because, while everything possible needs to be done to protect the public from stray dogs that, in packs, could wreak havoc and are a danger to humans, on the other hand these dogs should be taken care of in an appropriate manner.

People who keep hundreds of dogs cooped up in small places might be thinking that they are doing a service to the community because they are providing shelter to what would otherwise be stray dogs running about in open places. But at the same time the conditions they are providing are not healthy for the animals.

In comments he gave to this newspaper, Dr Spiteri said that animal sanctuaries are full and dogs will have to be put down unless they are adopted. This led to a number of letters by animal lovers who complained that these dogs are healthy and should not be “killed”.

Yet Dr Spiteri later pointed out, in a letter in reply, that his department is literally mobbed with complaints that pets have been mutilated by stray dogs and that, in Swatar, joggers and bikers were attacked by packs of stray dogs. He added that an over-population of stray dogs could have a negative impact on public health matters.

All this is true, and fingers have been pointed at people who simply abandon their dogs after taking them in as pets. To mention Italy again, each year before the summer holidays, they embark on campaigns for people not to leave their dogs in the streets while they enjoy their leisure time elsewhere. We do not have such campaigns in Malta, but we do know that the problem exists.

It is not only because of holidays that dogs are abandoned. Some people fall out of love with their pet, others simply would not be in a position to continue taking care of it for some reason or other, while others abandon it when their pet turns out to be wilder than they thought or grows too big for the place they have for it.

Yet a concerted effort is needed to exercise better control. We cannot have a situation where dogs are a danger to pedestrians. But neither can we have a situation where healthy dogs are put down simply because there is no space for them in “legal” sanctuaries.

What has happened to plans to have animal welfare facilities? Is it just another of those promises the government has failed to keep?

Let us act now before we see people cry as they walk behind the white coffin of a boy, as happened in nearby Sicily.