I have found myself seriously questioning what is going on in this so-called nation of animal lovers?

There are so many truly disturbing stories of animal neglect and abuse in the news every day, animals being left to starve, dumped in rivers, etc.

Apart from the obvious cruelty, there are so many animals being kept in miserable conditions, dogs being kept cooped up in small flats, not walked regularly and so called "flat cats" staring longingly out of windows at the outside world they wish to roam and explore.

Rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs in small cages and hutches barely able to move, being denied their natural instincts to run around, play, exercise – all essential components of a happy healthy existence.

Apart from the awful newspaper stories, I have witnessed, myself on a daily basis, so many trapped, miserable pets in my neighbourhood. I walk past an African grey parrot's home every day, I see it standing in that cage, just sitting there day in day out and I want to weep.

A creature given wings with which to fly but not able to spread those wings.

I find it difficult to believe that any one who truly "loves" animals could keep them in such cramped conditions, in the first place – I have never seen an animal or bird confined in a small space, looking anything other than fed up and frustrated, if not just downright depressed.

Surely, if we don't have the right kind of space or time to give pets a happy, fulfilling life and environment then we shouldn't have them at all?

Why on earth does any one keep animals and then simply allow them to starve to death?

There might be depression or mental illness involved in these extreme cases but still, surely there are alternatives to inflicting this kind of intense suffering on defenceless, dependent animals?

The human race has a lot to answer for when it comes to our treatment and relationship to the animal kingdom.

They often seem to bear the brunt of all that is cruel, selfish or psychotic in their "superior" human keepers.

A recent law has been passed that allows farmers to kill badgers on their land, based on unsubstantiated claims that they spread diseases like TB.

Therefore "culling" them is justified, apparently.

Well, using that same argument, there is one creature that spreads more diseases (too numerous to list) and is easily the most destructive of all other creatures combined and that is the human being.

So, perhaps we also deserve to be culled mercilessly, too?

Katerina Coulias

Northload Street

Glastonbury