Regarding the report aboutthe dog that died on the catamaran, I can hardly believe that Virtu Ferries management are unaware of the rules regarding dogs on board the vessel.

I am a frequent passenger on the Jean de la Valette catamaran together with my two dogs and, unfortunately, know all about it.

It is important to know that if one follows all the regulations, bringing a dog into Malta is no easy matter.

It involves getting a passport for the dog, testing it for various illnesses, giving it medications, filling in forms to be sent to the Malta authorities and contacting the person in charge of checking if the dog has been microchipped when arriving at harbour.

Many people treat dogs as part of the family and they cannot tolerate leaving them in the car or in horrible cages in the overheated garage where, even on the bigger catamaran, cars and enormous trucks parked close together make it difficult to breathe.

No person in his right mind would have allowed his photo to be published as the Italian dog owner did if he had done something illegal.

All that we dog-loving owners ask for is that a small space, away from people, be allotted to the two or three dogs that travel with their owners every trip. It is obvious that those who do not want to pay for a dog’s ticket can continue to use the garage.

I have always thought Malta to be a civilised country. Allow me to continue to do so.