THIS is with reference to the report ‘Four of a family kill donkey to settle score with its owner’ (June 5). I was appalled and sickened by the report which narrated the tale of a group of men and women torturing to death of a donkey in Toba Tek Singh in revenge against the owner of the animal. The poor creature’s end only marks a closure of a life which most probably was already one of hardship and privation.

The incident speaks volumes about how utterly dehumanised and depraved some of us humans have become and of our own callous disregard of nature and creatural life. One can only imagine what we are capable of and, indeed, do to each other.

Given our environment and general mindset, the valiant efforts of those few who are struggling to raise a voice and care for the wretched of the land need to doubly lauded. I salute them.

Shaista Sirajuddin
Lahore

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2021