Pooch, a blind part-Labrador suffering from cancer, did not put up a fight last Wednesday when his owner took him to the vet to put him down.

“It was so sad. He died at 2.30 in the afternoon... He trusted me blindly 11 years ago when he was a stray... I opened my car door, whistled and he just came in. He trusted I was doing the best thing when I took him to the vet to put him down,” his owner and best friend, Ray Fenech, said.

But Mr Fenech feels humans do not always deserve animals’ trust. After Pooch was diagnosed with spleen cancer a month ago, he had ordered medicinal dog treats from the US that could have helped alleviate Pooch’s pain.

The treats arrived in Malta last Friday but the Commerce Department’s trade directorate demanded an import licence before releasing them from Customs.

Mr Fenech said Pooch’s health took a turn for the worse on Monday morning. “Had I been given the treats when they arrived, he might have had a chance to try them and not be in so much pain,” Mr Fenech said solemnly.

“I agree there have to be rules to avoid living in anarchy. But there have to be exceptions, especially when it’s a matter of life and death even if we are talking about an animal.”

Pooch died in the arms of his favourite vet and surrounded by his “family” – Ray and Angela Fenech – who took him in from the streets over a decade ago. He was a stray and had advanced sandfly that eventually led to blindness. A month ago the dog was diagnosed with cancer of the spleen and his vet gave him three to six months to live.

Mr Fenech did some research on the internet and discovered a product called K9 Immunity Plus that had been used to treat dogs that were used in the search and rescue operation after the 9/11 attacks in the US. Many of the dogs got cancer after searching for people among the contaminated debris.

K9 is a natural product that works by boosting the immune system.

After consulting his vet, Mr Fenech ordered the treats from the US. On Friday, when they arrived, the courier company informed him he needed the go-ahead from the government veterinary services. When he obtained that, on Monday morning he was told he needed an import licence that had to include the signatures of officials from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. He was then told to wait for the necessary documents to be posted to him so he could pick up the treats but he did not receive anything until yesterday.

Questions sent to the Parliamentary Secretariat for Revenues and Land on Monday remained unanswered.