IT CAME as no surprise to read about the tragic death of a family dog after it ate a discarded face mask. The metal wire perforated his bowel.

There are masks everywhere, in particular outside shops. I counted five strewn around the car park at my local The Range store the other day, and two under trollies at Asda. Why don’t people realise that by dropping them they are endangering pets and wildlife. Why can’t human beings be more responsible? Whether masks, balloons, elastic bands or plastic bags, our actions could mean the difference between life and death for an animal or bird.