While walking along the promenade at Sliema on a recent morning I noticed the largest pile of dog faeces I have ever seen. Whichever dog had made the noxious deposit must indeed have been an elephant of a hound. Sadly for the public, the disgusting mess was situated adjacent to the entrance down to the children’s playground and to nearby Peppi’s Kiosk.

I cannot imagine that the size of dog, as evidenced by what it had left behind, would have been permitted to roam around Sliema at will. So, I assume that the animal had been accompanied by an owner, who had not only allowed it to soil this busy pedestrian thoroughfare but then with total insensitivity and utter disregard for the feelings of his/her fellow citizens had left the filthy mess for someone else to clear up. Most likely, the problem occurred during the hours of darkness, for I cannot believe that anyone could so brazenly let his/her dog make such a mess, that would rightly have incurred immediate disapproval of passersby. However, this anti-social behaviour is more than a mere inconvenience for members of the public, for most responsible citizens are aware of the harmful, even fatal, consequences which may occur when children are unwittingly contaminated by dog faeces.

Fortunately, shortly after 9.30 a.m. a local council employee with a street sweeping machine arrived. He diligently searched through several litter bins to find some plastic bags with which he was able to clean up the huge pile of dog faeces by hand, lest he dirty the cleaning machine. I would certainly commend him for his assiduous attention to his duties, but what a pity that some of the island’s dog owners do not manifest similar civic responsibility.

Personally, I have no idea who the owner of the dog in question might be. One assumes that he/she lives locally. Whoever he/she is, that person cannot but be aware of the situation. The dog most certainly must have been a large animal – and I mean large, and so in all probability some citizens may have a idea who the culprit might be.