Over the past week, The Argus has published reports of man’s cruelty to both wildlife and pets.

We read of the starving puppy dog left outside a pub (December 12). The dog was a Rottweiler weighing less than half its proper weight.

A letter on December 13 told us of a couple who buried two little dogs “alive”, with 24 other cases discovered in the same raid.

And now we seem to be losing our starlings. It seems 40 million have disappeared from Europe since 1980.

A lack of food supplies, lost nesting sites and pesticides used in the agricultural practices are said to have contributed to this. Although this doesn’t sound like cruelty, it is our modern lifestyle and putting money first that’s slowly wiping out so much wildlife in its every form.

Pets are being treated in the most awful ways when unwanted and we are seeing so many cases of this it is heartbreaking.

What’s happening to people? We seriously need more education in schools teaching respect for all forms of animal life.

I am tired of reading these sad cases. We must see an end to this cruelty to wildlife and pets alike and man must consider wildlife when modernising.

Harsher sentencing and education are the answer in my opinion.

When are we going to see both?

If we don’t, the loss is ours.

Gloria Wheatcroft, The Drive, Hove