The sudden death of Star, the dog that made headlines after it survived a torturous ordeal, has sparked an online debate on what should happen to its body.

There have been some imaginative proposals from embalming the dog to transforming it into a statue as a reminder against animal cruelty but one thing was sure – the dog should not be buried a second time.

When contacted, a Rural Affairs Ministry spokesman said no decision had been taken by the authorities yet on the fate of Star’s body.

Animal carcasses are normally incinerated for health and hygiene reasons, especially because of the lack of an official pet cemetery.

The spokesman said “the authorities are not excluding anything and are discussing it”.

According to sources the female cross-breed, which died from an acute inflammation of the pancreas on Monday afternoon – just one day after hundreds took part in a walk against animal cruelty – is being kept frozen until its fate is decided.

Readers commenting on timesofmalta.com urged the authorities to consider other options, especially because of the massive effect Star had on people’s hearts.

Keith D’Amato suggested burying Star beneath a small monument representing an era where animals were treated with the respect they deserve. However, Marouska Bugeja disagreed with the idea, pointing out that Star should never be buried again.

Instead, she suggested preserving Star and keeping her at the museum of Natural History “to be seen forever... She has touched the hearts of thousands of people from around the globe”.Others, such as Gustav Svensson, proposed putting up a statue of Star at the newly-pedestrianised Bisazza Street, in Sliema where there is a sculpture featuring actors Ġemma Portelli, Charles Clews and Victor Apap sitting around a table.

Star captured the nation’s heart when she was found by animal welfare officers near Għar Ħasan almost three weeks ago. She had been shot once at point blank range but the cruelty had not stopped there.

The dog had had her muzzle, front and hind paws tied, before being buried alive in a shallow grave that was covered with cardboard and a trunk on top for good measure.

The dog somehow managed to poke her nose out of the soil and whimpered, catching the officers’ attention.

Star was making good recovery at St Francis Animal Welfare Centre in Ta’ Qali and actually started visiting her new owner’s home when she took a turn for the worse and started throwing up.

She was taken in for an emergency operation but her condition quickly deteriorated.