Fritz, a Pharaoh Hound, has a rags-to-riches tale to tell. He was found abandoned in a state of near death in the middle of nowhere, with no food and water. But he has ended up looking healthy and handsome enough to end up on the fashion pages of a Swiss magazine.

After the Kelb tal-Fenek was found and rescued in July 2009, he remained ill for a long while, having developed ehrlichiosis, a tickborne bacterial infection, his owner Joseph Formosa Randon said.

Fritz had to have blood transfusions, was on the drip, and required twice daily visits to the vet for shots for a number of weeks. But he survived and became a “beautiful, happy, healthy dog, who now has a claim to Malta’s Next Top Model”.

Mr Formosa Randon was recently managing three photo shoots for the top-selling Swiss women’s magazine Annabelle in Malta. It had also chosen the island last year for another two shoots and returned for more.

A variety of evocative locations were used, and these were further enhanced by featuring the sleek Kelb tal-Fenek, Malta’s national hound, who competed with the model, while adding to the local feel.

Fritz’s beige fur coat blended perfectly with the neutral colours of the model’s clothes and the earthy backdrop of the shoot that was entitled Undercover Mission.