MARK Smith’s article (“End the cruelty inflicted on dogs in the name of shooting”, The Herald, October 24) should enrage every dog owner. The practices outlined are not welcome in the shooting community, and if anyone has evidence of malpractice or welfare issues then they should contact the relevant official bodies.
Gun dogs are part and parcel of our community – they are "man’s best friend" and our loyal companions. Field trials are a fantastic asset to our countryside and as a responsible activity are ever improving their standards. Their adoption of the Code of Good Shooting Practice ensures best practice across the board and another level of protection to rightfully adhere by.
Ross Ewing, Political & Press Officer (Scotland), The British Association for Shooting and Conservation Scottish Centre, Dunkeld.
Suffering of farmed animals
I MUST take issue with Lesley Mackiggan’s claim (Letters, October 21) that vegans and vegetarians are morally responsible for fuelling deforestation in the Amazon. About eighty per cent of Amazon deforestation is for cattle ranching. There’s certainly also some for soya bean farming, but 80 per cent of global soya production is feed for animals farmed for meat.
Maybe dietary additives could reduce methane output from farmed animals, but methane has a global warming effect 84 times that of the same amount of carbon dioxide. With 70 billion farmed animals in the world at any time, and rising, reducing their numbers by eating less meat would do more to reduce agricultural emissions.
That’s apart from two-thirds of them being factory-farmed and suffering greatly; plus lax enforcement of regulations on slaughterhouses mean many dying in pain too. Studies show many of these animals suffer in similar ways to humans if we were treated the same way: in fear, physical pain, lack of freedom to follow instincts developed during millions of years of evolution, plus lifelong emotional pain when mothers are separated from their offspring (with dairy cattle often at one day old) forever.
Duncan McFarlane, Carluke.
Taking notes
IT is good news that the Clydesdale Bank is to keep issuing bank notes with the Clydesdale name after it becomes Virgin Money ("Clydesdale name to survive on bank notes used by public", Herald Business, October 23).
I have been a customer of the Clydesdale Bank most of my adult life and proud of its Glasgow and Scotland connection. I hope the directors of the bank will think again and retain the title Clydesdale for its account holders
John K Richmond, Lochwinnoch.
I NOTE your report on the demise of the Clydesdale Bank confirmed ("Demise of Clydesdale Bank confirmed", Herald Business, October 22). Some 67 years ago I entered the bank's St Vincent Place HQ for interview. I was recruited as an apprentice and assigned to the Springburn branch.
My first day on June 30, 1952 commenced at 9am and incredibly concluded at 9.30pm due to the half-yearly balance. Over the next six months I was worked harder than any other period of my subsequent working life.
I then decamped to the more relaxed and better-paid insurance industry. Surprisingly, it is memories of the Springburn experience which remain uppermost in my memory bank.
D'Agostino's Café, Mr Gavin, manager at the Princes's cinema, Walter MacFarlane, baker and Carmichael's tearoom come clearly to mind.
Doubtless the notification of the demise of this institution will conjure varying experiences with other readers.
Allan C Steele, Giffnock.
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