Fox reality not awe-inspiring

I REFER to Advocates for Animals spokesperson Yvonne Taylor’s letter (July 6).

It is presumptuous of Ms Taylor to consider that the "rest of us" hold her views on the urban fox and her criticism of Sandra Dick’s report of July 3 on the fox attack of a young child.

Rather than sell us the image of the fox as awe-inspiring, the reality is it stinks, is flea-ridden and has a desire to kill far beyond its own feeding requirements. With an ever-increasing urban fox population similar attacks on children may well be repeated.

In Ms Taylor’s animated world she would have us believe that the rats recently reported as appearing with no trepidation in daylight in some Edinburgh streets do not carry disease and are being forced to adapt to the urban environment we impose on them.

It is distasteful to note that Ms Taylor makes no comment in her letter on the well-being of the baby that was subjected to the attack. I think such an omission says a lot about Ms Taylor’s and the self-appointed group Advocates for Animals’ views on the rights of the human being even when it is an innocent and defenceless baby.

Judy Mills Easter Road, Edinburgh