Letter from Phil Beaven (From Swindon Advertiser)

Letter from Phil Beaven

3:44pm Friday 15th January 2010 in Letters

I FELT I needed to respond to the letter from Pete Lacy in Saturdays Adver.

He accuses me of not being sympathetic to the death of six foxhounds near Wootton Bassett recently. Nothing could be further from the truth and my anger at this totally unnecessary loss of life was what prompted me to write in the first place It was the fatuous comments of Ian Farquhar that needed responding to. I stand by my views as regards the way the hounds are treated by the hunt. The kennel men are particularly cruel. I notice that he did not contradict my observation that healthy hounds are put down at six years old - how disgusting is that.

Pete Lacy accuses me of hating hunters not hunting. He is wrong, I hate hunting but I despise the hunters as I do any animal abusers. Anyone who gets pleasure from the inflicting of pain or death on a defenceless animal puts themselves beyond the pale.

PHIL BEAVEN Merton Avenue Upper Stratton Swindon