Sir, - As a vegetarian, I was heartened to read the front-page article in your edition of January 18th about the elderly couple who were so taken, while on holiday, by the antics of a neighbouring bullock while on holiday, that they "adopted" him and, at a cost in excess of £7,000, brought Ferdinand to an animal sanctuary in England, thus saving him from the fate which befalls most cattle.
Full praise must go to Mr and Mrs Brunsden for their compassionate act; yet one aspect of your report puzzles me. You state that our zoophiles belong to 20 animal charities - worthy in itself - but have only recently given up eating beef because of their attachment to Ferdinand.
The Brunsdens, on their particular road to Damascus, have finally seen the light. Nevertheless, it mystifies me how other people who profess to be "animal lovers" can possibly eat the creatures they profess to regard with affection. Do they not realise that the primary ingredient of meat is animal?
I think that this grey area ought to be highlighted by retail outlets, so that in future we might see warning labels attached to various cuts on display in supermarkets, such as "WARNING: this beef is made from cattle"; or, "CAUTION: traces of pig may be found in this pork"; or even: "ATTENTION! This chicken contains chicken". - Yours, etc.,
D. K. Henderson, Castle Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.