Newport Christmas Event Under Fire for Cruel Plans to Feature Live Reindeer

For Immediate Release:

30 November 2016

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 222; [email protected]

NEWPORT CHRISTMAS EVENT UNDER FIRE FOR CRUEL PLANS TO FEATURE LIVE REINDEER

PETA Calls On to Keep Live Animals out of Holiday Festivities

Newport – After hearing about Newport’s Christmas plans, PETA Senior Campaign Coordinator Kirsty Henderson sent a letter to the chair of the Swansea Bay City Region Board encouraging him not to use live reindeer in scheduled events.

In the letter, PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – notes that a busy attraction such as Santa’s Grotto at Celtic Manor, filled with visitors and excited children, is an entirely unsuitable environment for reindeer. These beautiful animals belong in the Arctic and subarctic regions of the world. When used as holiday “props”, they’re denied the opportunity to engage in natural behaviour or roam freely over vast open ranges as they would in their native circumpolar habitat.

“Using live animals in these sorts of events sends a damaging message to young people that animals are little more than living props”, Henderson . “There are many other ways that the people of Newport could celebrate the holidays that would be far more in keeping with the Christmas spirit than treating scared animals like decorations.”

Henderson’s letter is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

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