Rights for Animals

Animal welfare is the well-being of animals. The standards of “good” animal welfare vary considerably between different contexts. These standards are under constant review and are debated, created and revised by animal welfare groups, legislators and academics worldwide.

Animal welfare is the well-being of animals. The standards of “good” animal welfare vary considerably between different contexts. These standards are under constant review and are debated, created and revised by animal welfare groups, legislators and academics worldwide. Animal welfare science uses various measures, such as longevity , disease, immunosuppression, behaviour, physiology and reproduction although there is debate about which of these indicators provide the best information.

Concern for animal welfare is often based on the belief that non-human animals are sentient and that consideration should be given to their well being or suffering especially when they are under the care of humans These concerns can include how animals are slaughtered for food, how they are used in scientific research, how they are kept (as pets, in zoos, farms, circuses, etc.), and how human activities affect the welfare and survival of wild species.

Animal welfare was a concern of some ancient civilizations but in the 21st Century it is a significant focus of interest in science, ethics, and animal welfare organizations.

There are two forms of criticism of the concept of animal welfare, coming from diametrically opposite positions.

One view, dating back centuries, asserts that animals are not consciously aware and hence are unable to experience poor (or good) welfare.

The other view is based on the animal rights position that animals should not be regarded as property and any use of animals by humans is unacceptable. Accordingly, some animal rights proponents argue that the perception of better animal welfare facilitates continued and increased exploitation of animals.

Some authorities therefore treat animal welfare and animal rights as two opposing positions. Others see the increasing concern for animal welfare as incremental steps towards animal rights. The most widely held position in the western world is a mid-way utilitarian point-of-view; the position that it is morally acceptable for humans to use non-human animals, provided that adverse effects on animal welfare are minimized as much as possible.

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Comments (7)

  • Guest - Brien Comerford

    It's amazing to ponder all the iconic minds that did and do support animal rights, respect for wildlife and reverence for all creatures great and small. Da Vinci, John Wesley, Leo Tolstoy, Jeremy Bentham, George Bernard Shaw, Shelley, William Booth, Albert Schweitzer, Mahatma Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Jane Goodall, Abraham Lincoln, Plutarch, Tony Benn, Henry Salt, Saint Francis, the Dalai Lama, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney, Brian May and millions of Jains, Brahmins, Buddhists, Seventh Day Adventists and kind people who do not want to exploit, abuse, traumatize and kill our fellow creatures.

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  • Guest - Lulu

    When Ricky Gervais recently said "If you have no empathy for animals, then you have no empathy" he couldn't have said it better. People who are cruel to animals are just plain cruel people and anyone who has the capacity for cruelty towards animals life has the capacity for cruelty towards humans too. The recent banning of testing on animals in the EU demonstrates how cruelty is still going on through the back door and despite legislation animals testing is still happening through chemical companies, see here : http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=34533&ea_thank=true&sessionId=722dcd49-8c38-4f3d-8051-5da34c87d669 and here http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=36829 If we can't have compassion for animals then there is no compassion and that is a world that is dying. We can still grasp life and take it back but we have to be loud about it, we can't get results sitting on the sofa.

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  • Guest - Brien Comerford

    Animal rights should be embraced by Religious and Spiritual people and secular humanists, agnostics and atheists. For those who believe in God all the major religions concur that humans and animals emanate from the same Creator. Harming or killing an innocent animal and creature of God is both a crime against nature and an egregious affront to the Creator. Secular and non-religious thinkers must surely know that animals are our fellow sentient beings that experience pain and suffering just like we do. Their DNA closely resembles human DNA. The great philosopher Immanuel Kant rightly said "You Can Judge A MAN'S HEART BY THE WAY HE TREATS ANIMALS."

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  • Guest - william hanna

    I think UK health care system should review the NHS as compared to other countries and should overcome the discrepancies present in the medical system. I think the public should also be kept informed about the new developments in Health Care System.

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  • Guest - Kameto

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