I recently attended a Sunday afternoon service at St Andrew's Church, Jarrom Street, Leicester, for the celebration and blessing of animals.

Sadly, such services are few and far between and animals are rarely mentioned in church services.

On the same Sunday, the Rev Professor Andrew Linzey gave an address at Westminster Abbey in which he spoke of the Church's inaction to animal cruelty.

He said: "They talk airily of environmental responsibility, but, when it comes to confronting our specific duties to other sentient creatures, fall silent." (Prof Linzey is an Anglican priest and a leading theologian at Oxford University.)

There are many organisations which promote animal welfare, expose law-breaking in animal establishments, publicise abuse and cruelty to animals and educate the public about animal issues.

Despite this dedicated work, examples of cruelty to animals abound.

Investigations by the RSPCA of animal cruelty have risen from 137,245 in 2007 to 159,686 in 2010. Animals used in research experiments endure immense physical and emotional suffering. The plight of millions of animals in factory farms is conveniently ignored.

Although many people are horrified at the conditions in these prisons the spectre of mega factory farms looms on the horizon. The transportation of live animals to other countries is a disgrace.

There are people who regard the killing and tormenting of animals as a sport or entertainment. Institutional and individual cruelty, neglect and a disregard of animals are thriving. Caring, compassionate people should be appalled that such a situation is allowed to exist.

We share planet Earth with other creatures who deserve our respect and compassion and who have physical and emotional needs.

So often they are treated as commodities and are valued only for their usefulness to us rather than beings in their own right.

I hope the Church will take notice of Prof Linzey and begin to reverse the inaction which allows cruelty to thrive.

Mrs Elizabeth Allison, Aylestone.