A seasonal sacrifice (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

A seasonal sacrifice

8:38am Thursday 23rd December 2010 in Readers' letters

SIR – If you want to make your Christmas a festival of goodwill to all living creatures, then please choose a vegetarian Christmas dinner instead of a turkey.

Vegetarian recipe books have many seasonal choices, such as chestnut puree and cranberry sauce in puff pastry, or you can buy a turkey-style vegetarian roast at Holland & Barrett and some branches of Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose.

What’s wrong with eating turkey? Most turkeys are intensively farmed inside large, overcrowded and dirty sheds. The birds suffer from painful degenerative hip disorders.

Ammonia in the urine-soaked litter causes ulcerated feet and hock burns and can burn away their breast feathers.

Aggression among the stressed birds can lead them to peck each other, causing injuries or even death.

The truth is that most farmed animals, not just turkeys, endure lives of boredom, frustration, physical pain and misery, and so a wonderful New Year’s resolution would be to give up meat completely.

For our free Guide To A Compassionate Christmas, including recipes, please call Animal Aid on 01732 364546, or visit animalaid.org.uk.

Richard Mountford, Development Manager, Animal Aid