Keswick in the Lake District, UK, has a wonderful festive Victorian Christmas fayre each year. There are bands, choirs, a children's entertainer and more. Unfortunately the fayre involves a "visit from Santa and his reindeers". Bringing reindeers into a noisy, busy town fayre to be peered at by crowds in a small enclosed space is cruel.
Please sign this petition to the Keswick Victorian Fayre Committee to ask them to stop the use of live reindeer as christmas decorations at the fair.
Sadly Rudolph and his reindeer companions normally associated with Christmas and the giving of presents is a much exploited and abused animal, exploitation which is unfortunately becoming far more common.
We should be teaching children care and compassion not the callous use of animals in this way, just as having dancing bears no animal should be used for human entertainment in this way, it is no longer morally acceptable or ethically defensible.
Live reindeer on display in town is condoning the exploitation and misery of these beautiful gentle creatures. They thrilled our imagination when we were children with their flight through the skies on their Christmas eve mission. Imagination is a wonderful thing - do we really need to see a reindeer confined far way from his natural environment?
The fayre is planned for Sunday 4th December 2016. If enough people sign, the organisers will see that the fayre can still go ahead and children can enjoy Santa's visit without the need for live reindeer.
To Keswick Victorian Fayre Committee
Please reconsider the use of live reindeer in the Christmas fair in Keswick, it is neither necessary or morally defensible.
The animals suffer a great deal as a result of this, and should not be used as christmas decorations for human "entertainment" for many reasons.
