Since I started working for Advocates for Animals last year, seals have been at the forefront of our work and day-to-day office life. But in truth, ever since the first mention of a Marine Bill for Scotland in early 2007, and our seeing an opportunity to lobby for some formal protection for the estimated 200,000 seals in Scottish waters, the issue has not been at rest.

The constant discussions and updates led by our policy director, Libby, have kept the issue in the spotlight even when we've been focussing on other campaigns. Even during those 'quiet' periods between parliamentary debates on the Bill, Libby has been unwavering in her dedication to the issue, spending endless hours with MSPs discussing and debating amendments to the Bill.

All of us here at Advocates for Animals naturally being animal lovers, the walls are plastered with pictures of all sorts of creatures: domestic and exotic, big and small, adorable and downright ugly. But seals are everywhere. They are a symbol of Scottish wildlife, and are inherently photogenic: cute and round with big black eyes and that sad, puppy-like face. Everywhere I wander in the office, their little faces peer out at me, reminding me of what all the effort's for.

That’s not to say that animals that aren't cute are any less deserving. Every animal has a right to a life free from cruelty or exploitation. But there's something instinctive about our reaction to seals: their blubbery bodies and baby-like faces stir up some kind of innate nurturing feeling in us. There's even a name for this phenomenon: neoteny. Dogs developed infantile features as a way of avoiding hostility from humans. I'm sure this childlike appeal is why seal-watching is such a popular tourist draw for Scotland.

We love our pets because they stir up these same feelings in us. Many people even see their pets as their babies, such is the nurturing connection. If a dog stole your sandwich, you would probably be aghast but, at the end of the day, you would probably laugh about it and tell the story to your friends, and they would laugh too. The dog was just doing what dogs do. But if a seal takes a fish, she gets shot. That was our fish.

How can we justify these double standards?

Tomorrow is the last stand. Our nearly three years of campaigning and political lobbying has all been leading up to this point, when every member of the Scottish Parliament takes a vote on whether to pass our amendments to the Bill and therefore make them law.

If the politicians vote against the seals, we won't give up. There is huge public support for what we are trying to do – 75% of the public would like to see a total ban on seal shooting, and over 20,000 emails have been sent to MSPs in the last week and a half – and Parliament must listen to its voters in the end.

If you haven't done so already, please send an email to the politicians before tomorrow's vote. All it takes is a few clicks: http://onekind.org.uk/campaigns/lookout-for-seals/action-seals.

Thank you.