It’s simple enough. If you have a dog, you should clean up after it if it does its business on the pavement, or even road for that matter.

Despite the presence of wardens everywhere, signs warning of fines, special bins and more, still, there is dog dirt everywhere. You find it on any promenade in Malta. Sometimes, the dog dirt is of stray dogs. Other times, the dirt is of dogs who are let out for the day. But by far the worst are those who take their dogs out for a walk and simply let them do their business right there in front of everyone.

Most dog owners do clean up after their animals, and I do not mean to put everyone into one basket. But something really needs to be done. It is, quite frankly, disgusting and unhygienic. I once even watched someone let their dog foul the pavement while a warden was around. I asked why he had not fined the person, and he answered that he was on duty to “watch a crane”. No wonder.

Jane Vella

Sliema