THE NAPLES SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION ' OF ANIMALS.
' [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.")
shall be very grateful if you will again find room in the Spectator for an appeal on behalf of the Naples Society for the Protection of Animals. The sphere of its operations has been considerably extended during the past year, and annual horse and donkey parades have been instituted at Naples and Capri. In 1899 the prosecutions numbered 5,167; extra Anima% were attached to 32,887 carts; the load of 8,770 others was diminished, and passengers were made to alight from 20,191 overloaded omnibuses and cabs. People who return to Naples after an absence of a year or two are amazed at the improvement in the treatment of animals which has taken place ; and, as an instance of the rapidity with which the Society is effecting this improvement, I may mention that in the last two years the number of animals found working in an unfit state has decreased by about 25 per cent. Yet acts of the most horrible cruelty are still often met with. In one case a carter stabbed a donkey three times with a large knife ; the poor animal died in a few hours, but in the meantime the driver tried to make it draw his cart up a steep hill. Unfortunately, the Society is suffering a considerable decrease of the- income it usually receives from Great Britain, owing to the special circum- stances of the last few months, which have necessitated special demands on the generosity of the public; hence we have had to dismiss two of our sixteen inspectors, and must now reduce their number still further unless help is immediately forth- coming. I therefore earnestly appeal to the generosity of my countrymen, in the hope that they will not allow this good work to fail for want of funds. Contributions will be grate- fully received by Miss P. H. Johnston, The Beeches, Carlisle ; or by Mr. Leonard T. Hawksley, 22 Piazza della Borsa, Naples, Italy.—I am, Sir, &c., E. L. M. (Princess) Iker.E B.A.BESE (nee Mackworth Freed), President of the Naples Society for the Naples. Protection of Animals.
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