Animals die like Geronimo the alpaca every day - YP Letters

From: Elisabeth Baker, Leeds.
Pic: Adam Hughes/SWNS.Pic: Adam Hughes/SWNS.
Pic: Adam Hughes/SWNS.

Like Bridget Duncan (Letters, The Yorkshire Post, September 2) I am absolutely disgusted at the way Geronimo the alpaca was treated when being hauled away to his death.

Before I could reach the “off” switch when a television news item began about it, I could not help seeing on the screen what was happening and hearing the reporter saying that Geronimo was crying in a corner of his pen.

He was obviously absolutely terrified.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This was no way for supposedly civilised officials to behave.

As Geronimo’s owner had not been warned in advance, she was not there to comfort him and has accused DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ) of “stringing her along”, no doubt to lull her into a false sense of security.

Sadly, however, Geronimo’s death and the manner of it are repeated here many thousands of times every day in the meat industry.

The Government now belatedly recognises that animals are sentient beings.

It’s about time they were treated as such.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cattle and other animals with TB are culled with the same brutality as those killed for food.

Badgers are being shot as potential carriers, despite plenty of evidence that vaccination is available.

If Geronimo is found at post mortem to have been a carrier of TB then his death will have been a necessary evil.

But if he is found to be negative, I suspect that information will be withheld from the public, and those who refused him one final test

should hang their heads in shame.

As should those who treated him so brutally.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Other correspondents may retort that I should care about human beings rather than about animals.

Compassion for animals does not preclude compassion for fellow humans and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to think again.

I write as a vegan.

From: Hilary Jones, Bridgwater.

I CAN’T comment on the science, but the way Geronimo was handled as he was dragged off was appalling. No way to handle any animal but particularly an alpaca who was used to being led on a head collar. Unnecessary, brutal and just plain cruel.

From: Helen Clark, Tadcaster.

It is just an alpaca…thousands of farm animals die every day. Get it into perspective.