Jumping up and down, the pit bull mix wagged its tail as it was rescued from a wartime shelter dug in the Valletta bastion.

Welfare officer Godric Marston clutched tightly at the chain, with which the dog had been tied to an iron chair inside the shelter, as the large terrier tried to free itself.

But it soon calmed down as Mr Marston patted it on the head and stroked it, keeping away from a wound on its back.

According to a report received by the Animal Welfare Department, the two-and-a-half-year-old dog had been locked inside the shelter, at Il-Fossa known as Jews Sully Port, for some five days.

Although there was a container inside, there was no food or water, and the area had not been cleaned for days.

"Keeping a dog locked inside a bastion is cruel," Mr Marston, a champion of animal rights, told the media as the animal welfare officers waited for the police to arrive before going in for the dog.

Although the dog's owner had taken over a place belonging to the Land Division, the law still gave him 24 hours before being evicted, Mr Marston said, explaining why he was waiting for the police before breaking in to rescue the dog.

"But I'm not leaving a dog in there for another 24 hours," Mr Marston said.

When three officers from the Valletta Police Station arrived, Mr Marston broke the padlock of the green steel door and went in for the animal.

The dog was taken to the government's farm in Għammieri, where it will be kept until it is evaluated and officials determine whether it can be re-homed.

"It has calmed down and it looks like we will be able to find a home for it," Mr Marston said a few hours later. He said the dog was starving and extremely thirsty and gobbled down some biscuits and water.

Mr Marston said attempts will be made to track down the owner but admitted this would not be easy since he was a squatter.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.