Animal Rights: The Industrialization Of Animal Welfare

The starting point of this essay is to establish and lay out an animal rights claim. The point here is not to solely list which specific rights animals have, as that goes beyond the scope of this essay, but to discuss why animals do in fact have a claim to rights, and what this means for humans. The need to understand the intrinsic, or inherent value of animals allows us to see the base from which their claim to rights is derived. Inherent value refers to the idea that animals are valuable in themselves, not in what they provide us. Tom Regan, an animal ethicist, sets out the moral grounding from which we can

The abuse of Animals is increasing around the world, for personal and recreational uses. Animals are used in ancient and modern medicine to cure different types of illnesses and diseases. Animals are also being used for testing different types of hygiene products; which leave many of them are left scarred for life, while others are left to die in a cage. Animal rights groups around the world are working around the clock trying to stop this abuse, groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Are working around the clock to make sure such practices stop. This paper will demonstrate how modern liberals view animal rights, and how animals are viewed within society.

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

According to the “Universal Declaration of the Rights of Animals” written by the International League of the Rights of Animals in September of 1977 animals have similar right to those of humans. Animals have a right to live with respect and shall not be killed without reason. They shall not be denied the right to reproduce, or have the freedom of living in their natural habitat (Opposing Viewpoints 20). Activism in animal rights first began in the late 1960s because a documentary from Canada showed baby seals being beat to death with clubs was shown across the world. When people saw the documentary, they were outraged and started a massive animal-rights movement, which is now targeting factory farms (“Key Issue: Animal Rights” 1).

“Nearly as many, 68 percent, were concerned or very concerned about the well-being of animals used in ‘sports’ or contests as well as animals in laboratories (67 percent) (Kretzer, 1).” Many people question whether an animal is capable of thought and emotions. Others feel as though animals are the equivalent of humans and should be treated as such. Since the 1800’s, animal rights has been a topic that has several different sides including two extremes. If animals can react to their environment, emote, and are aware of things done to or with them, then they should have similar rights to humans.

Gary has been holding a position where he has been fighting for animal rights through his books. He argues that animals are seen as property instead of a person. There are several reason as to why animal rights are the way they are, and until laws are changed animals will continue to suffer.( Gary L. Francione,1996) To support his argument he studies the results from when common-law, civil-law traditions are involved. These laws are relevant, because it gives scientist and food distributor’s leverage to give reason as to why animals’ being considered property is not a form of abuse. Gary opposes this claim for a very good reason; he states that animals have a “defect”, such as their incapability to communicate using language. Gary finds that the issues with this are that, welfare is failing to recognize the interest of animals. In his observation he finds that the key to provide animals with useful rights is to convince society, exercise wellness benefits, and demand change.

The defense for this premise will be presented by first acknowledging the mistreatment of nonhuman animals at factory farms. Second, I will explain why these harms are unnecessary through facts and various ethical theories. The unnecessary harms that are inflicted towards the animals include terrifying slaughters, confinement, mutilations without any sort of pain relief, and acts of cruelty. In the United States, more than nine billion animals are killed for products such as meat, dairy, and eggs; most of which happen on factory farms. Factory farms account for 98% of the farms that raise animals for their products (Factory Farms).

The idea that industrial farming is bad for the environment is well known, but what people do not think about is horrible practice of factory farms within industrial farming. Factory farms are inhumane and not only because the animal is being slaughtered, but because of the way the animals are treated before the are killed. A person would think that if they were to be innocently killed that they would want to be treated with respect and dignity before they die. In this paper, I will argue that animals have rights through a utilitarian view and that they should not be treated in an inhumane way.

For many years humans have always used animals for anything. Billions of animals are being used in harmful ways every year, such as in foods, experiments and being held captive. Over the years, there have been many cases of animal abuse in the world. Some people do not pay any interest to what is going on in these animal attractions. In 2004, Sunstein suggested that animals must have their rights; therefore many people with factory farms were afraid that the administrations were going to embrace an animal protection. In the past years “many have come to view the struggle foranimal liberation as being on a par with other liberation struggles,” (Marcia Clemmitt). Scientists have noticed that animals do need freedom. For example farm animals are the ones who produce for our food. Cows, chickens, pigs, are the ones who humans kill for our appetite. Therefore farm animals are at risk, and people who eat them such as myself, do not realize the type of harm farmers put the animals through.

The study of good and bad, right and wrong, moral principles or value held by a person or society, promoting human welfare, maximizing freedom minimizing pain and suffering is called ethics. The discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings and also the value and moral status of the environment and its non-human contents is called environmental ethics. It considers the ethical relationship between the humans and the environment. Animal and animal rights are the highlighted topic in the environmental ethics.

The rights of animals are a deeply discussed subject, one that usually ends with the idea that animals are a waste of rights. This proposal is incorrect, however many people have agreed and obstructed the rights of innocent animals.

Animal welfare versus animal rights is very controversial, but yet interesting subject. There is a huge debate between Animal Rights activists and Animal Welfare activists. Animal Welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care,animal husbandry, and humane treatment. Animal Welfare activists believe that animals should be treated humanely and fairly, but do not have the same rights as humans. Animal Rights is a belief that animals have the right to live free from use in medical research, hunting, and other services to humans. Animal Rights activists do not distinguish between human and animals. They believe that there is no rational difference between an animal's

An issue that is being hotly debated is whether or not should be compelled to advocate for animal rights, and if it is a profound problem. But studies have made it clear. Humankind has captured the idea in their head that animals are here for two measly purposes; human manipulation and food source. Their manipulated minds find it right to torture animals, and force them to live an uncanny, disappointing life. We are excessively killing animals and mutilating those who live. Yes, one might say the animal factory farming techniques is beneficial to our society, and our food web is going strong. But many do not know of the unnecessary harming done to the animals in the process, along with the fact that animals are trophy hunted

Animal rights are an important topic to discuss and review. The trouble is the vast diversity of how people see humans and animals and how they are different and yet the same. Animals are in every aspect of our lives in how they are utilized to make our lives easier, to sustain us, or as a pet. Unfortunately, the line of animals and humans blurs as the widely known belief that we are a derivation of an animal and we should treat them as we would ourselves. This viewpoint, however, can be taken to an extreme as we see pets that can be pampered quite a bit. Relating back to the four authors in our text, there is considerable controversy on how animals should be treated. While some interesting positions arise with the various authors, to

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.