Do you have any animals?
We have a family dog called Misty. My brother rescued her from an owner who was mistreating her and didn’t want her any more. We’ve had her for about four years and she is a lovely, loyal dog and a great companion – such a happy dog now.

Why do you support the World Society for the Protection of Animals?
I’m a big animal lover and I think the work that WSPA does is amazing. I’ve always been a huge advocate for charities that protect animals, particularly WSPA because I agree with the way that they approach things.

I wanted to get involved with them because they run great campaigns; trying to push animal welfare laws and change things permanently, for the better, which I think is amazing. I’m looking forward to helping them build as much awareness for animals as possible.

Tell us about this WSPA campaign you are supporting.
I’m showing my support for WSPA’s campaign to get a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare. Right now, there are no international laws to protect animals and they are working to change that.

All you have to do is sign a petition – I’ve done it and I’m encouraging people to sign it and send it to a friend as well. The Universal Declaration will mean so much worldwide; it could be the start of tougher laws to protect animals around the world. So please, go to www.animalsmatter.org and add your message of support today.

How did you first hear about WSPA?
I heard about WSPA a few years ago and since then I’ve become a huge supporter. I’m signed up to their newsletters and I sign their petitions, which I forward on to my friends to sign. I also donate to their appeals, which could be anything from building bear sanctuaries to sending in teams to save animals after a disaster. I heard that WSPA had teams in Samoa, Indonesia and the Philippines, working to save all kinds of animals after the recent tsunami and earthquakes.

Which animal welfare issue (that WSPA works on) affects you the most?
I think that all of their work is important, but I really feel the laws they are trying to put into place will help animals around the world, which is what needs to happen. That’s why I’m supporting the Universal Declaration – it has massive potential to make so many bad situations better for animals. But WSPA has so many projects from bear dancing to the orangutan sanctuary they fund in Borneo – what WSPA does for animals is amazing.

Have you ever witnessed animal suffering/cruelty on your travels or in the UK? If so, what did you do about it?
I‘ve seen things that I would definitely consider to be neglect. One place I visited, I thought the horses looked malnourished – I’m very into horses so I know what a healthy horse should look like. Basic things weren’t taken care of, like the fact the horses didn’t have any water to drink in their field.  I've also seen so many stray dogs in some countries and it just breaks my heart.

But having being a WSPA supporter for years, I knew what to do about it. I reported it to the authorities and if I saw something like that again, I would probably write to my government to say that I wouldn’t visit that country again if I saw acts of animal cruelty. As a tourist, refusing to spend our money in a particular country for ethical reasons is one of the most powerful things we can do.

If you could change one thing for animals now, what would that be?
If I could change anything for animals it would be that they could get the same consideration and respect that we do, which is what the international declaration is working towards.