SAFE Whangarei coordinator Cathy Duffield recently sent an excellent letter to the editor of the local paper, refuting the justification of animal exploitation "because people have always treated them like that." The letter, below, was published in the Whangarei Report on 31 January. No Case for Cruelty
Barbara Wrigley, in her article in your last issue of The Whangarei Report on the Maungatapere Rodeo justifies the cruelty of rodeos by stating that man has always treated animals cruelly. To back up the comment she refers to the killing of animals by cavemen. However cavemen killed for survival when plant food sources were scarce. And their victims ran free until the moment of death, unlike the millions of animals leading a painful existence from birth to death in the factory farms of today. We are now living in the 21st century. It is no longer necessary to exploit animals to lead a healthy and happy life. Barbara is correct when she says that "many people now question the notion that the beasts were put on this earth for the benefit of mankind." She also states that animals now have rights. This is only partly correct. Certain animals have rights; for example cats and dogs - animals with little economic value and not considered edible in our culture. Prosecution would follow the keeping of a cat or a dog in a small cage 24/7 but regulations allow pigs and hens to be confined in very small spaces. We can all help abolish cruelty to animals by choosing not to eat them, wear their body parts or use them for entertainment such as rodeos.
Cathy Duffield Writing letters to the editor is an easy (and free!) way to educate people on animal issues. You can write in response to an article or letter in the paper, or on a topical issue. For more info on letter writing check out SAFE's letter writing tips. Write a letter today! Please send your published letters to SAFE before the end of March and the best letter will receive a mystery gift prize pack! Send to Sacha Dowell, SAFE, PO Box 13366, Christchurch or email sacha@safe.org.nz
24 February 2008
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