No decision has been taken yet on what will happen to the body of Star, the dog which yesterday lost her battle for life after having been shot, bound and buried alive near Ghar Hasan.

The dog died at St Francis Animal Welfare Centre in Ta' Qali and is being kept frozen until a decision is taken, informed sources said.

Animal carcases are normally burnt, but Star has found a place in the heart of the nation, with the people having been shocked by her ordeal.

The dog, believed to be four or five years old, was found on May 19 by Animal Welfare Officers, whimpering after she managed to poke her nose through the soil.

Vets carried out an urgent operation and removed 40 shotgun pellets from her head.

There had been hopes that she would recover.  Star had even started being integrated with her new owners. But on Saturday she started throwing up and had a second operation. She came round and on Sunday was stable, but her condition deteriorated sharply on Sunday and she died at 3 p.m. yesterday.

Vet Trevor Zammit, who had been among those who cared for Star, summed up the mood of the nation when he said he was "devastated". It was Dr Zammit who had painstakingly removed the shotgun pellets from Star's head.

Animal Welfare Coordinator Janice Chetcuti admitted to The Times that she felt cheated by the death of Star after she had been doing so well, even though she felt she could never explain the pain in the dog's eyes.

"Star represented something powerful, and a ray of hope for us all. Let us tap into the energy she sparked within us to continue campaigning against  animal cruelty and keep that fervour alive".

Star's Facebook community has attracted 54,500 fans and messages expressing sadness at her loss have been flowing since her death.

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