"As the Christmas lights go up, the pets get thrown out," said Billy Elliott, rescue officer for Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service (The Argus, December 5).

He was, of course, speaking about a minority of pet owners, who can abandon their pet at the drop of a hat in order to pursue their own pleasures.

These people should never be allowed to own pets, which need stronger legislation to protect them from such cruelty.

I believe compulsory registration, colour coding for county, town and postal area alongside the microchip could help stamp out abandonment.

Without the wonderful work of the animal rescue services, abandoned pets face a grim future - even death - so we can only praise their work.

-Gloria Wheatcroft, Hove