THE World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) does a wonderful job in helping stop the suffering for overworked animals. Its latest campaign is especially praiseworthy - to bring to public attention the scandalous needs of donkeys working in brick factories in Surkhrod, Afghanistan.

If there were a league table of animals who suffer the worst at our hands, the donkey would be at the top of the list.

In temperatures of 110F in the shade, thousands of animals are put to work every day hauling huge quantities of bricks.

By the time the sun sets, each animal will have carried 5,000 bricks. It's hard to imagine the raw, infected sores created by such heavy loads. And worse still, when the wounds become infected there is no care because veterinary services are not affordable or accessible.

I hope you feel as passionately as I do that this suffering must stop.

Can you help relieve the pain for these poor "beasts of burden"? If so, the WSPA donation website can be found at www.wspa.org.uk

Aled Jones,

Mount Crescent,

Bridlington.

Updated: 10:53 Monday, January 16, 2006