Many locals are keen followers of photoblog Humans of New York. Originally a personal project by photographer Brandon Stanton, his venture has since generated a massive online following, and started featuring people from other international cities as a result, as well as inspired spin-offs in other countries, Malta included.

Brandon is currently in Europe, and his travels have seen him introduce a variety of people, and excerpts of their life stories, to his followers. And we were delighted to spot Malta mentioned in his latest post!

The post in question revolves around one man’s surreal experience about adopting a Maltese dog. “She’s a street dog from Malta,” the man is quoted as saying. “A rescue agency dumped her on a friend then stopped answering the phone. I volunteered to babysit for a couple days, even though I’m not big on small dogs. And for some reason she really took a liking to me.”

The post continues: ”Her eyes were bugging out of her head. She was peeing everywhere. Her nails were two inches long. And her teeth were falling out so she looked like a vampire. When I took her to the vet, we found out her heart was enlarged. Her lungs were filled with fluid. And she needed all her teeth pulled out. On the way home I stopped by a store. I wanted to get a small bag to carry her in-- just while she recovered. But deep down I knew. If I’m buying a bag for a dog, there’s always going to be a dog in the bag.” Aww!

Despite this story’s happy ending, homeless animals are a growing concern in Malta, and huge efforts are made for people to adopt rather than shop for pets.

Brandon, if you’re reading this, consider it an official invitation to the islands: we’re a population full of stories. Granted, some may be more real than others, but hey! They don’t call us the Hollywood of the Mediterranean for nothing. Insert cheeky wink here.