In the bestselling classic To Kill A Mockingbird, two children, Jean Louise Finch and her brother, see a dog limping along the street. The street's inhabitants collect their children and run indoors, locking the door behind them. Author Harper Lee explains that the dog has gone insane.
It's been some time since animals commanded the streets but Pembroke, Swieqi and Ta' L-Ibraġ residents are reporting such instances.
At the sound of barking, mothers have to collect their children and desert the streets, the residents protested.
"You have to see this to believe it," Rita Giordano said in despair. She is one of those that have taken the initiative to contact the media in order to put pressure on the authorities to do something about what is happening.
Iris Mallia, another resident, explained that dogs had killed her cat a couple of months ago. Since then, she took another one under her care but has to keep it indoors to the detriment of the animal. "Otherwise, I have to go out with the cat," she complained, fearing that dogs might also kill her second friend.
She believes it's not hunger that's driving the pack of dogs. "It's the killer instinct," she insisted.
Inez Sammut recounted that the vicious animals surrounded her neighbour's husband late one night. He had no alternative but to climb up a gate and wait until the dogs left.
"It's the cats the dogs are after," she said. "I see them sniffing around cars." And since she owns quite a number of them, she sometimes sees dogs roaming around her garden.
Regardless of the authorities' efforts to curb the threat, numerous dogs continue to walk the streets. In fact, she said she's seen police officers attempting to catch the dogs but all efforts were futile.
A police officer even bought equipment at his own expense to catch the dogs, she said. Yet, he still failed to catch them. It's tranquiliser darts that are needed.
The authorities said last week that a number of dogs had been seized from an illegal animal shelter in Pembroke. The situation at the shelter is desperate and a number of dogs still watch from behind the fences. And although food and water were found, the authorities said dogs were in a bad state. Some were climbing over the fencing or passing through holes in it.
Police officers from the Administrative Law Enforcement section were present to protect those seizing the dogs from hostile owners, Police Inspector Alex Miruzzi said. But no owners appeared, he continued.
However, Ms Giordano believes that the dogs housed in that shelter aren't the cause of her troubles. "No one knows where the dogs are coming from," she said.
Meanwhile, no one could be contacted at the SPCA's animal shelter in Floriana yesterday morning. Despite calling a number of times nobody answered the phone. Nevertheless, the authorities have promised to take further action. But the seconds are counted in blood and tears.