To the Editor:

I'm writing to say thank you to Mayor Joe Curtatone and the Board of Aldermen, which recently passed an ordinance prohibiting the display of wild animals for entertainment purposes. As a member of the Board of Overseers for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, I'm extremely pleased that Somerville has taken this important step to prevent animal suffering. I'd especially like to commend Aldermen Bill Roche and Rebekah Gewirtz for their co-sponsorship of the bill and hard work building broad-based support for it.