A dog was found burnt last Tuesday in a field in Wied Rini. The owner of the field called Civil Protection to extinguish the fire. After the fire was put out a grim discovery was made: before them were the remains of a dog whose four legs had been amputated halfway. It is not known if the legs were cut off after or before it died.

The implications here are horrific. What sort of diabolical mind would amputate a dog’s legs after it is dead or, worse still, before its death, and, then, after committing this crime cleverly ignites a fire so that no one will be in a position to recognise this poor creature?

This poor animal has not got half the attention from the media that it deserves. Yet, it follows the international coverage of another barbaric act of a female crossbreed later named Star. Star, as we all know, robbed the hearts of all those who saw her footage and read the sorrow in her eyes. This dog, however, is unidentifiable as its mutilated body was found among debris and burnt tyres.

The police must investigate this incident and are also probing the case of the three Pharaoh hounds that were found floating off Marsalforn tied together at the neck. The people are awaiting the results of these investigations. The message here is very clear: Unless the law is made tougher and the sentences meted out to these perpetrators are carried to their maximum, the perpetrators will carry on ridiculing our judicial system because they will have no fear of it.