In these unsettled times with the troubles in the Middle East and the increase in terrorism, it is easy to lose faith in human kind.
It is wonderful for me then to see every day the love people have for their pets.
I am constantly being told “he is such a lovely dog” or “she is a really beautiful cat”.
More than half of our nation own a pet, many have more than one.
We really are a nation of animal lovers. We live with them, we provide for their needs and care for them in sickness and in health.
They give us companionship, friendship and loyalty in a changing world.
Every day I see the joy that people have with their healthy pets, the concerns they show when their pets are ill and the sadness and grief when they die. They are our best and most loyal of friends.
A nation that can care for its pets is a nation that can care for people and is a powerful antidote to any ideologies that preach hatred.
