I was shocked to find that while I had reported a case of animal abuse the only action that was taken was an RSPCA officer attended the home and gave the owners a little chat. Nothing has changed and the dogs are still neglected.

These are the actual words in part from the RSPCA web page: “We prosecute those who would harm them and we fight for the humane treatment of all living things. But our job does not stop at animals. We believe behind every animal is a human being who needs guidance, encouragement and help.”

How does this work then when some people are habitual abusers? There are some people who can not be educated.

Before Fairfax fashion editor Melissa Singer (The Border Mail, October 31) decided to quote someone in her opinion piece ‘It's time we stopped calling women fillies’, perhaps she should have checked to see if the speaker knew what they were talking about.

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Geldings are not the male equivalent of a filly, they have in fact been castrated. The male equine equivalent to a filly is a colt (an “entire”). 

For a young human male to be compared to a colt is no insult; we even have a local cricket team named the “City Colts”. Similarly, for a young female to be called a filly is not demeaning. 

Many of our greatest racehorses have been fillies and to be likened to one of those fine, strong, young animals should be considered a compliment for a young woman, not a way of reducing her to a "plaything" or a "walking coat hanger", as Ms Singer suggests. 

Surely the spring racing season is a great time for both our “fillies” and “colts” to enjoy themselves and to celebrate being young and carefree while watching those other magnificent fillies and colts display their prowess on the track, and to do so without ill-informed political correctness. 

On Sunday, Albury joined other towns and cities in marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. We are also approaching the Albury RSL sub-branch’s centenary. It was officially constituted just a month after the Armistice. Its founders were men who had returned from Gallipoli, Palestine, France or Belgium early because of wounds, sickness or mental conditions.

Over 100 years the RSL sub-branch has helped look after the needs of war veterans and their families, supplemented by Albury Legacy since 1932. 

Albury has survived when many other sub-branches have closed. Vietnam veterans mostly run its affairs today. It still supports a dwindling band of World War II veterans as well as those from later wars from Korea to Afghanistan. As Dr Brendan Nelson, director of the Australian War Memorial wrote in the Albury sub-branch’s history: “Many lives have been helped, shaped and literally saved by the RSL… its officers have first served their country in uniform and then served one another.” Albury’s premier veterans’ organisation deserves a big thank you.