Letting out a sigh of frustration, dog lover Rennie Scicluna yesterday told a magistrate "he just wanted to carry out his mission" rather than being stuck in the court room for the umpteenth time.

Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna reprimanded Mr Scicluna for his outburst, saying the court was not a theatre. He put off the case to early December because Mr Scicluna's lawyer had not turned up.

Mr Scicluna, 53, was jailed for 26 days on November 5 after he failed to pay a fine of €320 for keeping stray dogs in a temporary compound in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. He was released five days later after inmates and friends raised the sum and Mr Scicluna was soon back on the streets hoping to collect a further €600 for another fine, ahead of yesterday's court case.

Leaving court, Mr Scicluna said he has actually raised about €1,600 since the story broke about him being released, adding that after paying the fine due he will be using the extra cash to feed the dogs and fix a broken fence.

On the steps of the court building, five passers-by recognised him and stopped to give him their support. One woman could not understand why the court had jailed such "a good man". The case had gone to court because residents were complaining about the noise of the barking dogs, which had become unbearable, especially for one resident who lived in a mezzanine overlooking the sanctuary.

Joseph Azzopardi, who was in court yesterday, said he had been trying to sell his property after the problem became intolerable: "Potential buyers are asking me for a guarantee that the sanctuary will be moved, leaving me in an impossible position."

He added that the dogs fought with each other and were kept in "horrible conditions". He insisted that he loved animals but "just imagine living with 40 to 50 dogs barking all the time".He said he understood Mr Scicluna's predicament, admitting that the man was trying to do a good job, but the residential area was not the place to keep animals.

Last week, Mr Scicluna had said he did not wish to be a nuisance to anybody and was trying hard not to accept more dogs - he has 19 at the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq sanctuary - until his situation is resolved and he finds an alternative location.