Reject the festive cruelty to animals

Sir — In the run-up to the festive season, I appeal to readers not to forget animals.

By matching a donation to a human welfare charity with a donation to an animal welfare organisation, you help to keep the needs of the non-human members of our society in your thoughts.

By contacting a local animal welfare organisation, you can find out what ‘present’ they would like. By buying this ‘present’, which might range from sponsorship of animal food supply or to purchasing much-needed equipment in the name of a loved one, you will obtain a long-term visible appreciation of your Yuletide expenditure.

The Christmas season is a time of celebration and thinking of others, but it would be sad to confine that thought to humans. Animals are an integral part of our society. More than ever, they need people to think and care about their rights and welfare.

Furthermore, please think about having a humane Christmas festival.

Trying at least one vegetarian/ vegan meal during this annual culinary blow-out would be an exercise in violence-free eating. Rejection of industrial meat production can be done by sourcing free-range meat and animal by-products for your Christmas dining. Getting your nutritional needs satisfied with vegan/vegetarian dishes shows you see meat for what is really is — death warmed up.

Never forget for that trite statement, farm to fork, to exist, a heartbeat must be stilled.

As we begin the season where the carcass of a dead bird is a centre-point of a festival that celebrates new life, the message is simple: by reducing/removing meat and animal by-products from your diet you are helping to close the bloody slaughterhouse door. John Tierney, Waterford Animal Concern, Church Road, Waterford