'Why you should donate to animal rescue shelters this Christmas' - Your Letters and Shrewsbury Town players treated after a cup tie scuffle in a 1930s picture from the archive
A reminder that a pet is for life, not just for Christmas, and your views following last week's Budget - here are today's letters:
New pets aren’t for Christmas
As Christmas approaches, avoid the temptation to buy an animal as a Christmas gift. Because, unlike an ugly pair of socks or the wrong-sized trousers, an animal can’t be returned.
Last year, the RSPCA reported a 23 per cent increase in animals abandoned over Christmas, while countless homeless dogs are euthanised each day in UK shelters, because there are no homes for them to go to. Right now, hundreds of thousands of animals are sitting, waiting in overcrowded shelters.
Most people who surrender animals blame a lifestyle mismatch: lack of time, money, space, or changing family dynamics – all factors that highlight why animal guardianship must be carefully planned. It’s a life-changing decision, not a seasonal whim to be wrapped in a bow.
If you’ve done your homework and can afford to invest in a 10+ year commitment, save a life by adopting after the Christmas chaos. And if you have an “animal-lover” on your list, donate to a rescue shelter for them instead. That’s a gift that truly goes a long way to help animals.
Elisa Allen, PETA
