Having been away for a while, I have been catching up on the local news and was utterly disgusted by Pamela Hansen’s remarks about Star the dog, particularly her attempt to make a joke of it. “I was surprised that we did not see a Facebook page calling for its canonisation” (TMIS, 3 July).

Star’s “death” was not a straightforward death. As Ms Hansen herself says, Star was “tortured” to death over a prolong period.

I’m sure that if Ms Hansen was bound had and foot, her jaws wired tight together, pellets from a home-made shotgun discharged into her head and then buried alive, she would not consider it a joking matter.

Fortunately, unlike Ms Hansen most of Malta didn’t either.

I’m sure Ms Hansen as a journalist is aware that if not ‘tacit approval’ then sympathetic excusing of such a diabolical act only serves to encourage other with a similar mindset to Alfred Vella that such behaviour is OK just a joke!

Please Ms Hansen, don’t insult the moral integrity and intelligence of your readers – I for one did not find your canonisation crack in the least bit witty − maybe Mr Vella did, so he can buy your paper but I won’t from now on.

Clifford John Williams

STA LUCIA