Duchess Catherine has been urged by PETA to stop Prince William shooting birds.


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The president of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has sent a heartfelt letter to Catherine after it was reported William purchased 250 birds for a shoot at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate, as a birthday gift for his brother Prince Harry.

Ingrid Newkirk wrote: “We understand that Prince William has given a gift of ‘game birds’ to Prince Harry for his birthday. There is no honour in buying birds and reducing them, as if they were clay pigeons, to shooting targets.

“Those who aren’t killed outright are often dispatched by having their necks wrung, which does not cause an instant or painless death.

“May I ask you to use your influence on the princes and ask them to reconsider this gift? You are in a unique position to be able to wield considerable influence over whether people everywhere view animals and their place in our world with kindness or blithely ignore their suffering.”

Compassionate

She then went on to ask Catherine to urge William and Harry to forgo their shooting day in favour of something more compassionate.

According to FOX news, she continued: “Please ask the princes to open their hearts to the suffering of birds casually used as skeet and make the compassionate decision not to kill for fun.

“By cancelling the planned ‘day’s sport’ in favour of a more enlightened, fitting and humane pursuit, they will win hearts and commendations and spare hundreds of birds a terrifying end, making it clear that the monarchy is in tune with the social movement against cruelty to animals.”

Social Media Backlash

The shooting plans have caused a furore on social media sites. Our original story published last Friday (16 September 2011) – Prince William buys hundreds of birds for Harry to shoot – generated over nine thousand comments on Facebook, with all but a few castigating the Princes’ plans.

Examples on Facebook include:

“Blood-thirsty royals with too much time on their hands and nothing better to do than torment OUR wildlife!” (Geoff Knight Osh)

“Diana did not participate in “Blood Sports”, she totally disliked them and would not wear real fur. She said at one interview ” you will not see them on me”! I feel she would have asked for this ‘to not take place’!” (Wysteria Whisper)

Meanwhile on Twitter reaction was equally swift.

@sharkonline@LondonNet WTF? What is with these spoiled sociopaths (princes)? They shoot birds because life is so lacking? To hell with em”

@AnneliesBasten: “#PrinceWilliam buys hundreds of #birds 4 Harry 2 shoot!! Ignorant & inconsiderate… bit.ly/pFzhee via @LondonNet

It remains to be seen whether PETA’s letter to Duchess Catherine will encourage the Princes William and Harry to end their family’s centuries old tradition.

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