Sir, - I refer to the many letters expressing outrage (and rightly so) at the violent killing of the Malahide donkey. I would like to point out that thousands of other animals die unnecessarily every day here in our country. These, being so commonplace, do not make the front pages of the papers.
Spare a thought for the terrified intelligent pigs, being prodded up the ramp at the slaughter house, and the smell of death and fear. What about the week old pups left to die daily in drains and on motorways? Horses remain unprotected still by an inadequate Horse Bill which is aimed at protecting people. What about the badger snares laid by the Department of Agriculture under the guise of research? And the shooting and hunting licences condoned by our farming politicians that cause thousands of birds to die slowly from blasts of bullets? Nursing vixens and fox cubs enter the equation when mounted packs start cub hunting from August.
The list goes on. It has come to the point that tears are not enough. Lip service helps and so do letters but action is what counts. Man is the only voice that animals can have. We have the freedom to make the choices that can help them. Do we really need the taste of dead flesh? Have we no fabric other than animal skin? Should animals be forced to entertain us at the cost of their lives and freedom? By all means condemn the donkey's killers, but don't forget the others. We are all responsible for their pain. - Yours, etc., B Wright,
Alliance for Animal Rights,
Cavendish Row,
Dublin 1.