I read with a heavy heart of Betty Berry's resignation as the manager of the SPCA in Gozo. I have had two or three encounters with the Gozo SPCA and with Ms Berry. I was always deeply impressed by her excellent work and that of her staff. The facility is professionally run, organised and extremely clean - an obvious testament to the amount of care and not to mention hours upon hours of dedication and sacrifice.

As for the shocking conditions that Betty, her staff and the animals have had to endure, I have always been deeply saddened. I heard that the SPCA tried for years to secure a better facility, yet their pleas fell on deaf ears. Surely with so many abandoned sites around the island something could have been worked out. I have hiked the beautiful coastline here in Gozo many, many times and have seen any number of sites that could be converted into something sustainable for the SPCA.

How we treat the smallest among us speaks volumes to our children and the tourists. I have been coming and going from America and have fallen in love with this little island. But I must admit that the care, concern and treatment of animals must be improved - as well as the rubbish around the island, but that is for another time. I can only hope that the younger generation will carry forward with a better attitude towards the environment and animals. It would be very sad indeed to lose a champion like Betty for our small furry friends who have no voice.