Tis the season to be compassionate towards animals

I WOULD appeal to your readers to plan a compassionate Christmas for themselves, their family and friends.

Please don’t forget animals in the run-up to the festive season. Among the ways to have a humane Christmas would be: Sourcing free-range or organic meat and by-products for the Christmas feast or, even better, trying at least one vegetarian/vegan meal during this annual culinary blow-out. By matching a donation to a human welfare charity with a donation to an animal welfare organisation. Animal welfare organisations/charities cannot compete with the slick money extraction campaigns conducted by human welfare charities. Indeed, many of these charities are not slow to accept funding from organisations that engage in animal abuse. Why not contact a local animal welfare organisation and asking them what present they would like to help their work? By buying this present, which might range from sponsorship of animal feed to buying equipment, 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 solely to humans. May we all have a happy and humane Christmas.

John Tierney