Preview

Animal Rights Are Defined

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1781 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Animal Rights Are Defined
Animal Rights Animal rights are defined as “Rights believed to belong to animals to live free from use in medical research, hunting, and other services to humans” (Dictionary). The United States as a whole has a tendency to put the rights of mankind above all else, including that of animals. “Sixty-three percent of all the animals in the United States are household pets”, (Pet), while the rest are divided up amongst wild animals and those in captivity. Regardless of where the animal comes from, they all bear equal rights. There are many different groups of people whose views on animal rights vary in accordance of their occupation, whether an activist, an Animal Welfare Institute, a farmer, or a food company, animals and their rights will be perceived differently. On one side of the spectrum there are activists. Activists are very vocal people who want to get their point across even if the stakes are high and against their favor. The official definition of an activist is “an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, mostly a political cause but can be other things” (Dictionary). There are groups like PETA, otherwise known as people for the ethical treatment of animals, whose sole purpose is to help animals in any way that they can. “PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds, and other “pests” as well as cruelty to domesticated animals” (About). Groups like PETA prevent the abuse animals undergo from humans, such as research, hunting, neglect, starvation, and many more. This holds true for activists because they believe that animals, such as humans, have a soul and can feel and experience everything a human can. “Animals suffer harm in various forms during capture, breeding


Cited: "About PETA | PETA.org." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The Animal Rights Organization | PETA.org. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://www.peta.org/about/default.aspx>. Bekoff, Marc. Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2010. Print. Company, Advance Food. "Overview." Advance Food Company Home. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://www.advf.com/Default.aspx?tabid=80>. Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://dictionary.com>. "Facts: Hunting." Google. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:3FF4IScERaIJ:www.idausa.org/facts/hunting.html>. Francione, Gary L. Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog? Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2005. Print. Henderson, John T. A Manual on Cattle; for the Use of the Farmers of Georgia. Atlanta, GA: J.P. Harrison &, Printers, 1880. Print. "Pet Statistics." ASPCA.org. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx>. Selection and Breeding of Cattle and in Asia: Strategies and Criteria for Improved Breeding : Prepared under the Framework of an RCA Project with the Technical Support of the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency, 2009. Print. "Who We Are | Animal Welfare Institute." Animal Welfare Institute. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://www.awionline.org/about-awi/who-we-are/who-we-are>.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Jeremy Rifkin is an American writer, public speaker, and activist who wrote a meaningfully dense article for the Los Angeles Times titled "A Change Of Heart About Animals." His article defends animal rights and disputes many myths regarding animals. Rifkin argues that animals do have a sense of individualism, they experience emotions, they learn from past experiences, and that “They are more like us than we imagined” (). After reading the article, I can personally say that I agree with Rifkin, albeit my only problem is drawing the line between advocating for animals rights and extremism.…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The general public as well as animals are put at a severe disadvantage as a result of the rules created by the politically elite. Those who are vulnerable in society: animals deemed useful and people who are economically disadvantaged, experience the most severe injustice, in part due to inadequate representation. There is no perceptible correlation between legislature, and mercy. The social justice movement is as strong as ever, and the discrepancy between laws passed and the need for basic human and animal rights has become more ubiquitous in modern culture. Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, Una Chadhuri and Holly Hughes’s Animal Acts, and multiple articles that identify key issues pertaining to animal and human rights. As illustrated through…

    • 157 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Regan's Position

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages

    An Argumentative essay that looks at and breaks down the philosophical difference between Tom Regan’s position on Animal rights and, Peter Singer’s position on Animal liberation as a basis for better treatment of animals.…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    James, Missy and Merickel, Alan P. Alex Epstein and Yaron Brook, The Evil of Animal “Rights”, Reading Literature and Writing Argument, Fourth Edition by, pg. 604-605.…

    • 1396 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Annotated Bibliography

    • 1753 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Morris, Cindy. "Animal Cruelty." E-mail interview. 6 October 2011. ProQuest Staff. "At Issue: Animal Cruelty." ProQuest LLC. 2011: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 10 October 2011. < http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=S200008280-0-285&artno=0000307333&type=ART>…

    • 1753 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cited: Epstein, Alex and Yaron Brook. "The Evil of Animal "Rights"." James, Missy and Alan P. Merickel. qtd in Reading Literature and Writing Argument. Upper Saddle River: Prentice hall, 2008. 604-605. Text. 8 September 2012.…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If humans have been given rights of their own, animals should have rights, too. Animals don’t deserve to be experimented on. They feel pain just as humans. We shouldn’t take animals for granted. They have a huge part in our world’s natural cycle. In Lisa Kemmerer’s article titled “Animal Rights” she asserts the issue of what defines animal rights. She addresses the fact that animals need rights just as humans. Ms. Kemmerer subtopics consist of the challenges that follow animal rights, the importance of animal rights, and the reasons why we need to consider standing up for animal rights. As Lisa Kemmerer states, “Animal rights is a simple idea because, at the most basic level, it means only that animal share a right to be treated with respect. It is a profound idea because its implications are far-reaching” (275). It is very important to acknowledge that animals need to be treated with respect. Animals are unable to voice their own rights. It is our duty to use our own rights to advocate the rights of animals. Without advocates for the rights of animals, our economic system may drop from unlawful standards. As a second writer suggests that as human we have moral obligations to not judge one by their outward appearance, skin colour, and ethical background yet we seem to judge animals without considering their feelings (274). We have such an impact on animals that we must stand up for animals and protect them. If we don’t take a…

    • 1733 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Animal Rights Final Paper

    • 5494 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Animal Rights is the affection and kind treatment offered to every animal without discrimination. Animal Rights involves treating animals with respect and investing in their best interests, regardless if the animal is “cute” or useful to humans.vi The importance of Animal Rights is to protect animals from being abused and exploited. Animal Rights also protects endangered species from extinction. According to Tom Regan, “Animal Rights is to treat humans and other…

    • 5494 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Citations: "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The animal rights organization | PETA.org." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The animal rights organization | PETA.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.peta.org/>.…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Animal Testing Satire

    • 1635 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Animal rights are rights that affect all of us on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. From protecting the animals themselves from inhumane testing and living situations to climate change, the rights of animals are highly debated and are very controversial. People who are passionate about animal rights are typically vegan meaning that they do not consume and typically avoid products made by or with animal products of all sorts. This lifestyle choice is becoming more popular thus making it much easier to abide by. On the other hand, there are many people who still live by the much more primitive means of hunting. Some of these people believe humans are the top of the food chain and that humans have natural…

    • 1635 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Background: An Organization called the Animal Legal Defense Fund has sponsored a petition that calls for increased protection for the rights of animals. It says the following:…

    • 409 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are differences between animal welfare and animal rights, but they share one main goal: an animal’s well-being. Animal welfare protects animals from abuse and exploitation. Animal rights are the rights of animals that they should be protected from abuse and exploitation. Even though these two terms have similar, yet different meanings, and are often misused, they still both involve the humane treatment of an…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Bill Of Rights

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Now in my opinion, I believe that animals should have an official “Bill of Rights”. They have emotions and show signs of intelligence. I believe that we need to draft a legal “Bill of Rights” for animals. Simple laws should be, and already are, in place to protect animals to some extent but there is more that could be done. Currently, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) remains the only federal law that regulates the treatment of animals [1]. I believe that the AWA is enough protection for animals, we don’t need additional legislation on top of this and similar…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Rights - Paper 3

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Many people feel that animals have no rights and are here solely for our use.…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A few weeks ago I decided to do my research paper in regards to animal abuse. Knowing from the very beginning that I was completely against animal abuse I thought that this paper would be a piece a cake. All I would have to do was to give examples of actual cases of animal abuse and just throw in my personal feelings on that particular case. But the deeper I dug the more enlightened I became on the subject, which led me to ask myself the question that when it comes to animal abuse and/or animal cruelty what rights do animals actually have, if any, and what place do they have in our society? Historically, animals did not have any rights or a place in our society, since they were considered solely as “property”. Today, the courts still solve issues under the same concept as if they are “property”. Animals should not be considered as property they should be considered as part of the family, as for production animals they should be treated with the utmost respect, and testing on animals should be done away with.…

    • 2477 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays