It was shocking to read about the condition of the pure-bred Shar Pei dog when it was rescued. I find it difficult to understand why the Maltese, who are generally gregarious people, treat their pets so badly.

We witness all the time animals chained or locked up in pens as if this were the proper way to treat one’s pets.

My wife and I just returned from a holiday in Turkey, a country that, in the past, several times tried to ravage Malta but one thing we found amazing is how they treat their animals. They love them!

In Istanbul, a city of 15 million people, there are stray dogs and feral cats in the streets, just like in any Mediterranean city, but the dogs have identification ear tags, are neutered and are well fed.Merchants place bowls of water and food out at night for them.

There are machines on the streets where you can deposit your empty plastic water bottles. It goes “crunch, crunch” and out at the bottom comes a hand full of dog and cat food as a reward to feed the strays. The cats are fat and very friendly, not like here where they run away if you approach them.

At one point during our walks we stopped for a coffee and a street cat curled up and fell asleep on top of my knapsack sitting next to me.

The countryside is full of birds and, in the large flower-filled park beneath the Topkapi Palace, in Istanbul, storks nest in the trees, parrots and magpies fly around unhindered and almost every tree has a birdhouse nailed into it. Quite amazing.

The Maltese, Christians to the core, could do well to adopt some of the animal treatment practices of these “infidels” who tried to conquer them.