The Animal Rights Movement

Many researches are finding that many of our fellow creatures are more like us than we had ever imagined. A percentage of people feel that concern should be brought upon how animals are treated. The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Animal Bill of Rights is a petition to the United States Congress. The petition states the basic rights that all living beings other than humans should have and that our government should protect. It states the right of animals to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse. The right of laboratory animals not to be used in cruel or unnecessary experiments. The right of animals to be in a healthy diet, protective shelter and sufficient medical care.The right of wildlife to a natural habitat, ecologically good enough to a normal existence and self-sustaining population.The right of farmed animals to an environment that fulfill their basic physical and psychological needs. The right of animals to have their interest represented in court and safeguarded by the law of the land. These are the six important keys in the act. No one can predict what actually happens to animals behind doors or even in nature, but it is fairly easy to say that not all animals are

Animal testing is a cruel way to try and develop new products. There are several other and much safer options that will get better results and potentially save up to two million animals every single year. The Animal Welfare Act is in place but only minimally protects certain animals and leaves many others, up to 95%, vulnerable to atrocious fates. The animals not protected by this act (mostly small or considered house pets) are most widely used and not related closely to humans. There are several alternative methods but they are being neglected since they are new and not being enforced because of it. A few countries and states have banned certain aspect of animal testing but others are encouraging this cruelty.

Even though animals inhabit the world along humans, humans believe that they have superiority over these creatures. This superiority comes with power and that power is overused. Many animals today are in danger, because people are injuring and killing animals is the reason why. Animal cruelty is shown in many different ways. Some ways include, abusing them when they are pets, using them for entertainment, testing on them, and feeding on them. Animals should receive rights because they live a harsh life of pain and oppression.

As of today PETA is one group that is helping animals in barbaric situation like that of professional research laboratories. In these laboratories, the staff treats animals inhumanly where chemicals are poured onto the animal causing burns and sores. According to answers.com, animal rights are the rights to humane treatment claimed on behalf of animals, especially the right not to be exploited for human purposes. This movement in America traces its roots to the settlers. According to the US History Encyclopedia in 1641, Body of Liberties laws, Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans came up with the first animal protection laws when they included two provisions prohibiting cruelty to animals. After the Civil war is when animal rights became a

Animal rights are another issue we are facing right now. There are many who believe that they have no rights, others say that they have the same rights as humans and others are in the middle of these two extremes issues. The topic is very complex because if animals have rights which one are those since the only way to protect them is by regulating them on how are they are treated or how can they be used. Animals are used in many ways such as food, medicine, research, cosmetics, cloth and sport among many other ways. Many who believe that the reason animals have no rights is because of the lack perception where they don’t feel or have pain like humans. There is no doubt that animals feel pain or pleasure and just for that reason they have rights, some people say. On the other hand, we cannot compare animals to humans because they are indeed different and for that reason, they cannot have the same rights. For example, animals can’t vote.

.According to the AARDAS (Animal Abuse Database Administration System) the four major causes of animal’s deaths include neglect, shooting, hoarding and fighting, followed by torture and mutation. (Evans 1) The abuse of animals is just one of the main rights that as humans we infiltrate. The ignorance of humans choosing to ignore the rights of innocent animals is drastically affecting our society. “The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” (Author Schopenhauer). Animals have rights, and our society continues to overlook those rights by using them in research, factory farming, and holding them in captivity, and these issues must be addressed with all seriousness for the sake of the animals and our society.

For the fifth time that day, Mrs. Jacobs walks past the Miller's window where she stares at their family pug. All of her effort to not open the door is confined in hatred, this animal that doesn't deserve to be cooped up all day, being taken advantage of. All animals should be loved, animal critics argue, but it is not necessary for animals to be given rights because of their lack of communication with humans. The argument of animal rights has exploded in the last decade, creating organizations like P.E.T.A. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and A.L.F. (Animal Liberation Front) both of which are trying to enforce the government to create laws for animal rights. Animal rights have been a topic of discussion as early as Ancient Rome,

Introduction, animals that are being tested safety of their products that’s been a subject of an intense debate for over 10 years. While, a lot of people that alleged animals, the remained animals are being subjugated by the research cosmetics companies all over the country/all over the world. Even though, the scientists frequently profit from animal research, I don’t think all the suffering, the pain, and the animals dying are worth just trying find out the human benefits from the products.

The fight for animal rights is one that has been going on for centuries. “The new emphasis upon animals ' feelings of sensation in the eighteenth century brought growing criticism of some forms of cruelty. Doubts about the ethics of castrating domestic animals were raised as early as 1714." (Guither, 1998, p.1) According to Guither (1998), London was the first to encourage the prevention of animal cruelty in 1824 where it eventually became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They aimed to "attack animal cruelty and promote kindness to animals in support of prevailing social and religious values, support enforcement of existing laws, and pass new ones. (Guither, 1998, p.2)

One of the reasons animals should have certain rights are; animals have a wide range of emotions and have self-awareness, which is contrary to our preconceived notions that animals live only in the moment, have no sense of their own self, lack morals, and do not suffer as human do. Animals consciously know that they exist. They plan their lives, to some extent, and the quality and length of their lives matter to them. Animals know what is happening to them and feel pain as humans do. They prefer some things to others, and have dislikes; this was thought to be an unique human trait. Animals make

Seems rhetorical, but the fact is animals live through this everyday, without even given the choice. As humans, we establish our authority among all living beings, but for what reasons? Are humans better than all other species? Or is it true that we should hold a precedence over nonhuman animals? The ultimate question then remains, should animals have as much or equal to the same rights as humans? Their are endless arguments for and against this question, and many sub arguments that go hand in hand with each side. In this paper, I will discuss the definition of what animal rights entails and expand on the history that developed it’s meaning. Furthermore, I will thoroughly discuss, reason, and explain each opinion presented by our current society as well as the positions held by previous philosophers. Lastly, I will draw a conclusion to the opinions presented by discussing my personal position on the argument of animal rights.

The law excludes other animals such as rats, mice, and birds bred for research—who together constitute an estimated 90-95% of animals in laboratories ( Animals in the Use of Research). In 2013, Europe progressed farther than the U.S, by completely banning animal testing on products (Cosmetics and Animal Testing). This exhibits that U.S is behind the times and needs to make new legislation for animal testing. Due to the lack of conversation about animal testing in the presidential race, there seems to be no future legislation to prevent cruelty towards these animals. Since the government will not help the animals. It is up to the people of America to protest businesses who use animal experimentation. Until, the companies use alternative ways such as vitro testing, human tissue toxicity experimentation, and micro-chip testing ,the world will not be a humane place to live.

For many years now the world has seen controversy over the rights of animals and if they think and feel like humans do. Many people see animals as mindless creatures or as food, while others think they have emotions and can feel pain. In other countries animal protection laws are in place that are strictly enforced and seem to work well with the system. In the United States however; some of the animal rights laws are considered to be useless and under-enforced (Animal Legal & Historical Center). More people today are beginning to see that animals should have rights and should be protected by laws and regulations (Animal Legal & Historical Center). Sadly there are many people residing in the United States who don’t take animal rights or protection laws seriously. These people abuse animals in many ways, including food industries that disobey the regulations set in place for the slaughter of animals used for consumption. Luckily for the animals there are people who fight for their rights and the enforcement of laws called animal rights activists.

The statement by Paul McCartney rings true, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be a vegetarian.” Animal rights is a concept which people hardly ever consider in a serious light. Being born as a human being, having a superior mental capacity and sense of times makes people think that they can rule this world and use other living beings as they see fit. This mentality leads to people say things like “animals are born to eaten” or how Aristotle claimed “all of the nature exist specifically for the sake of men” and “that animal are merely instruments for humankind.” (Pg. 495). This way of thinking often leads to overconsumption of animals, cruelty to animals and loss of species.

About 3.02 million animals are used in Canada for experiments for biology lessons, medical training, chemicals, drug, food, and cosmetics testing. Pew Research Center had done a survey and found out that 50 percent of U.S. adults are against the use of animals in scientific research (Pew Research Center 2015).While animal testing is used to see if medication or other products would work on humans, it is unnecessary due to 94% of products that have worked on animals but have failed to show any sign in humans.In today’s world. testing on animals is unnecessary.One reason of way it is unnecessary is because there are now new methods that exist that can be used to test products. Secondly, alternative methods are cheaper then testing products on