One of the biggest debates in the world is
over whether or not animals should have rights or be treated as the property of
human beings. most people realize that animals feel pain and can be scared or
stressed just like humans. However that does not stop most of the population
from eating animals and also using products and medicines that have been tested
on animals.
everyday human activities have a big
effect on animals and many people do not even think about this. Many people
wear leather shoes, visit burger bars, wear woollen jumpers, and go for a day
out at the zoo or the circus, without thinking of the rights of the animals
that have suffered to provide these products or entertainment. When we stop and
think about these things in details, it raises the question – why should
animals have rights? Many people and charities across the world believe that
animals should and do have rights; and are speaking out against the abuse of
animals. One example is PETA - The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
which is a UK charity dedicated to protecting animals and making people aware
of animal rights issues. They point out that animals are capable of suffering,
just like us, and have the desire to live and lead their own lives.
In the past, people used to believe that
all animals were dumb, could not understand anything and probably didn’t even
feel pain or fear. Of course we now know this is not true. Also, scientists
have carried out lots of research over the past few years which proves that
many animals are even more intelligent than we thought, including , chicken
and sheep. Sheep were found to be able
to ‘learn’ how to get food from differently colored buckets; and were able to
do this just as well as monkeys. Sheep can also remember the faces of up to 50
other different sheep, which shows they can recognize their family just as we
can. Chickens have been found to have better numeracy skills than young
children and they are able to think, use logic and plan ahead. Sheep, pigs and
chicken are three of the most abused and widely eaten animals on the
planet. The fact that they can think,
suffer and feel pain just like us, means they must have rights and they must be
treated with care and respect.
Apart from being raised and killed for
food, there are many other ways that animals are abused. One of the biggest
forms of animal abuse is using them in scientific research and to test drugs
on. Such animals, including rodents, monkeys and dogs, are kept in small cages
and are poisoned, deprived of food and water, infected with diseases, have
their brains damaged and are burned and gassed. Millions of animals go through
this every year and an animal dies in a European laboratory every three
seconds, in scientific experiments. This is a terrible life and death for the
animals and 75% of the time, the results from animal testing does not match up
with the human reaction – so it is largely a waste of time and the suffering is
for nothing. As well as this, 92% of new drugs that have been tested on animals
fail when used on humans. This is a massive ethical argument for stopping
medical tests on animals.
One positive step for animal rights is that
testing make up/cosmetics on animals was banned in Europe in 2009; and in 2013
cosmetics tested on animals anywhere in the world, cannot even be sold in
Europe. This is a great move, but sadly not all countries are taking this
action. The action in Europe came about because of public campaigns so all
other countries need to do the same. Unfortunately some countries such as China
are still demanding that cosmetics are tested on animals, so animals will still
be suffering just so that someone can wear makeup.
While we are becoming more aware of animal
rights, for some animals it is too late. The wolf is now extinct in the UK,
because it was hunted constantly until the point where the species died out
altogether. The wolf was not hunted for food or entertainment though – it was a
threat to human life and livestock, which meant that people were scared of this
animal. However, wolves were simply following their natural instincts and doing
what they had to do to survive. They died out due to the destruction of the
forests they lived in, as well as being hunted and the last known wolves were
thought to have survived in Scotland up until the 18th century.
In modern times, one strange fact is that
many people have pets in their homes (such as dogs, cats, rabbits) or horses at
a stable; and they love these animals and would certainly never harm them.
However, the same people have no problem with sitting down and eating meat that
comes from animals that in many ways are just the same as the pets they love.
People do not mind paying the farmer, slaughter man and butcher to kill and
provide this food for them. My take on this issue is that if all animals have
the ability to suffer in the same way and to the same degree that humans do,
then they must be given rights. They feel pain, fear, love for their own kind
and others and can be lonely just like us. Therefore, whenever we do
anything that affects their lives or health, we must think carefully about what
we are doing and make sure they are treated with kindness and compassion.
References
animals that in many ways are just the same
as the pets they love. People do not mind paying the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_hunting#Europe_and_Russia_2
http://www.theguardian.com/science/shortcuts/2013/jun/19/animals-know-more-than-you-think
http://www.peta.org.uk/
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2013-02-15/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/rights/rights_1.shtml
