Urgent Action Needed

Sending a letter or an email to governments and politicians or to newspapers and TV stations is one of the most important ways you can help WSPA‘s campaigns for animal welfare around the world.

Your individual effort can accomplish a measurable difference. In the past, WSPA letter writing campaigns have had a tremendous impact. After thousands of letters were sent to governments, officials in Pakistan began to enforce anti-cruelty laws to fight bear-baiting, and in Taiwan, the nation‘s first animal welfare law was passed.

Writing to your MP is very effective. Often an MP will raise the issue with the appropriate Minister, who is obliged to reply and publicly justify their policy position. In this way, both MPs and Ministers gain an appreciation of how strong the support for a campaign is through the volume of correspondence received.

Here are some tips you can follow to ensure your letter is really noticed:

• Make sure your letter is addressed to a named individual - details of your local political representative or foreign embassies can be obtained from libraries, telephone directories or via the internet.
  
  
• Be polite but firm about what you want to see achieved
  
  
• Keep your letter short and to the point
  
  
• Make sure the information you give is factually correct
  
  
• Avoid overly emotive language, but make it clear why the issue effects you personally
  
  
• Be clear about what you want to see happen
  
  
• Give the full name of any proposed law or parliamentary bill that you want to see passed
  
  
• Include your name and address and ask for a reply
  
  
• Write letters to congratulate organisations and governments if they make changes to improve animal welfare

Using the correct form address

There are no hard and fast rules for addressing important officicals, so don‘t worry too much about not following etiquette. Being polite and respectful is the most important point to remember.

The following simple rules will help you achieve that right tone:

Presidents and Ambassadors: Your Excellency
Prime Ministers: Dear Prime Minister
President of the USA: Dear Mr President
Ministers of State*: Your Excellency
Kings, Queens and other Monarchs: Your Majesty
End your letters: Yours respectfully
Other Officials & Elected representatives: Dear Sir/Madam
End your letters: Yours faithfully

*In Europe it‘s common to address ministers as Dear Sir in which case you should end your letter Yours faithfully.

If you want something to be published make it as short as possible - most letters in newspapers are restricted to one clear message.