Blast Off

I believe very strongly that may people treat animals in a way which is both cruel and wicked. Animals' lives are, in a sense, sacred and it is very wrong for anybody to abuse them.

"I don't believe that animals should ever be made to suffer in order to make women or men look more attractive. I especially dislike fur coats and at one time, I was always getting into trouble by going up to women wearing furs and shouting at them to tell them what I thought about their coats.

"I know that many people may think I'm hypocritical to criticise women who wear furs when I wear shoes made from leather. But I don't think that the production of leather involves cruelty in the same way that furs do. You see, leather is normally made from the hide of old animals which have been allowed to die naturally.

"Since I believe that hurting animals is wrong, I disapprove of all sorts of cruelty, from battery-farming to blood sports. And, of course, I don't believe it is right to eat meat- which is why I am vegetarian.

"One of the most barbaric of all so called 'sports' is the bull-fighting which goes on in Spain. I once spent six months in Spain and I often saw the bull-fights which they broadcast on television. It was so cruel and horrific that I can't even bring myself to describe what I saw.

"I only wish I had more time to spend campaigning against the things which I consider to be wrong. I'd really like to take part in an Animal Liberation demonstration. Nick has a friend who helped to release some animals from a laboratory. I really cheered when I heard about that.

"But there are some things which everybody can do, no matter how little free time they have. They can write to their M.P., sign petitions or join organisations.

"I wrote to my M.P. about the killing of baby seals which I had seen on television. I also sent some money to an anti-seal-killing organisation.

"If everyone does even a little, then things will change. It's very important to save the whales, to stop animals being mistreated in the name of beauty or for food, to stop blood-sports and to campaign against all sorts of other ways in which animals are ill-used.

"So my message to anybody who reads this and shares my feelings is - don't just sit there, do something!"