Circus animals no pets

I feel offended when Attilio Bellucci compares his - and his circus's - way of treating animals to "people keeping pets at home" (January 9), as I am one such person. There is absolutely no comparison between Mr Bellucci (or any other animal circus) and "people who keep pets at home".

He expects us to believe him when he claims that his animals are well-treated and that it is alright for him to keep animals in cages for more than three-quarters of the day.

He can then kindly explain to us in detail how his animals are trained to carry out feats which are totally alien to them; at the same time, he can also explain to us how the animals he keeps in captivity are trained to perform in public when they are by nature exceptionally shy beings that would rather be hiding in some bushes. He can also explain to us in what circumstances and conditions "his" animals travel from one place to another.

Mr Bellucci would have us compare him keeping animals to us, who keep pets. I, for one, have two cats at home. I saved them from the streets and I treat them as if they were members of my own family. Besides my cats, I also look after a few strays in a particular garden. I carry cat food with me in my car just in case I meet any strays.

Mr Bellucci should take note here that I do not make money out of my two cats - quite the contrary. A good portion of my monthly salary is spent on their well-being, and I would go without rather than see my cats lack for anything. I am sure that I voice the feelings of so many thousands of Maltese people who regularly go to veterinary doctors in order to see to the physical needs of the animals that they keep at home, as pets.

Yes, I do accuse Mr Bellucci, and every other circus, of cruelty towards animals.

Yes, along with such circuses, I accuse all those people who, one way or another, make "use" of animals - his verb, not mine - for financial gain. Except for vets, of course. My experience of vets is a happy one, thank God.

I, therefore, accuse of animal cruelty all those who sell animals in order to make profit - those who import, export and otherwise store animals as if they were mere merchandise.

I accuse all those people who breed pedigree animals and then sell them at exorbitant prices - especially when there is so much need of adopting those many, many animals being sheltered in animal sanctuaries as well as strays.

I also condemn all kinds of entertainment where the animal is in unnatural captivity and has to undergo any level of training for the sake of entertainment, however minimal. All those people who connive with these enterprises and thus make use of adverts or even visit these places of so-called entertainment, are actually part and parcel of this continual and subtle cruelty towards animals.

I also accuse of animal cruelty all those people who, one way or another, make use of animals in any way which threatens their dignity and their right for a natural life. Here, I include our politicians and law-makers, as well as all those civil servants who turn a blind eye whenever they see any sort of animal illtreatment.

And before anyone writes in to say how exaggerated I am, take a moment to go to the weblink below to see that this is not simply my way of thinking. I have merely summarised the Charter of Animal Rights that is at the moment before the United Nations for approval. (http://www.uncaged.co.uk/declarat.htm).

One final word: It is true that there is still so much to do to help so many people who are suffering. However, this does not in any way absolve us of the sacred duty of acting positively when we come face to face with some sort of animal plight. Our duty as human beings is to protect and to defend what is weaker than ourselves; our duty as Christians, if you will, is that of re-energising ourselves with the spirit of one of the Church's most important religious founders and saints. Let us stop ignoring his message.