Star, the dog that survived being shot in the head and buried alive, has spurred the organisation of a peaceful protest by animal lovers who are requesting harsher penalties for such acts of cruelty.
Almost 1,000 people signed an online petition asking for justice for Star and more than 7,000 joined a Facebook page to show support towards the female mixed-breed that captured the nation’s heart.
Disturbing images showed the state in which Star was found on Thursday in Birżebbuġa on the way to Għar Ħasan. Welfare officers went to a field nearby to investigate a report of three ill-treated dogs. There they heard the sound of muffled whimpering that led them to a wooden plank held in place by part of a tree trunk. When they lifted the plank they came across the nose of a buried dog poking out of the soil. As they dug out the dog they found it had been shot in the head, its snout had been tied shut and all four legs were bound together.
Star, named by welfare officers, was then taken to the animal hospital where over 40 lead pellets were removed from her head during an operation.
The horrific story touched the hearts of people beyond our shores. A woman from Canada contacted the Animal Welfare Department to send Star a personalised blanket and the Amsterdam Fire Brigade wrote in to ask how the pooch was doing, said Janice Chetcuti from the department.
Some people even suggested setting up a trust fund that could be used as a reward to catch the perpetrator, she said.
A comment posted by Vascas Jewellers on the Facebook page said it was offering a €250 gift voucher to anyone with information that could lead to an arrest.
Ms Chetcuti said she had received over 20 requests to adopt Star. “We have another 110 dogs that also went through bad experiences and need a home... Maybe people can help them,” she said.
Meanwhile, she added, Star was slowly recovering at the Ta’ Qali animal hospital but was still quiet and looked depressed.
The macabre act spurred much anger towards the “sick” person responsible, who has not yet been caught, with many calling for harsher punishments and longer jail terms in such horrifying cases. By law, anyone found guilty of animal cruelty can be fined between €233 and €46,500, or jailed for a maximum of one year.
A legal notice to be published this year will raise the fines to between €500 and €50,000 but the maximum jail term will remain unchanged.
The silent protest will take place on June 4 in Valletta at 5 p.m.
The case is being investigated by the police. Anyone who has information can call the police on 2122 4001, the Animal Welfare Department on 2590 4132/2590 4113 or send an e-mail to animalwelfare.mrra@gov.mt.
The department can also be contacted on the same numbers to adopt a dog.