Animals And Do They Deserve And Should Have Rights

In order to deserve rights animals must show or have qualities that allow for reward or punishment. An animal is anything that feast on organic matter, has sense organs, and response to outside stimuli. Now properly defined it can safely be said that animals do in fact deserve rights. Truly the discussion is which animals deserve rights and which ones deserve less, if any? For this answer it becomes more complex as the type of animal and its values are discussed. For this argument the focus will be on three primary types: humans, pets, and food animals such as farm animals. All three are animals and deserving of rights, however the rights that they deserve differ greatly.

Farm/wild game

Cattle, sheep, chickens, goats, hogs (pigs) are all animals that are used primarily for food and clothing, in some instances, that have rights though they do not have as many rights as other animals. These animals are commonly referred to as farm animals and are raised primarily for consumption. Other animals allowed to grow and later consumed are consider wild game such as deer, elk, and boar. The rights given these animals are mainly for population retention and maximum growth potential for consumption. One of these rights is a limitation of time that they can be harvested such as hunting seasons and growth seasons. It is during this time frame that the wild game animals have the opportunity to roam without being hunted and farm animals allowed to grow and eat on the farm. It is during this time frame the animals reproduce so that the population does not die out. Another right, though controversial, is the rights to a quick death. In both the slaughterhouse and out in the open field it is a requirement that the animals be put down as quickly and as humanely as possible. This right is very similar to a pet's right, however with a pet only a certified vet is allowed to put them down.

Pets

A pet is a domesticated creature made to stay outside of its natural habitat. Pets are more than just cats and dogs they include various reptiles and birds and even insects. The rights of pets are vast and very intricate and a vary by country, state, and by person. Pets earn their rights by being companions or by being very colorful or becoming exhibits of sorts. Thus, defining pets’ rights becomes very tedious and overwhelming, so the focus shall be on household pets such as cats and dogs. Animals such as cats and dogs are often called companions and aid their owners in various ways from entertainment, love and affection, to protection. Thus, they deserve rights by doing and showing something that deserves reward and/or punishment.

Humans are animals as well

Animals are not only dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, and goats, they are also human beings. Humans show daily that we deserve rights because of constant developments to society, showing an aptitude to learn and adapt, and many other daily tasks. We have also gone as far as to create societies and rules and regulations that ensure our rights are not infringed upon.

Conclusion

All animals are not created equal thus all rights are not equal, but all animals do deserve rights. Though there is no proper scale or quantitative way to define how the rights are decided, it can safely be assumed that no matter the animal it has some form of rights.

References Comment by April Newman: The references are in order of author’s last name alphabetically, There are hanging indents. The research is credible and contains one peer reviewed source from the Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management.There are other sources like a magazine and newspaper, but all were located at the online library.Only research that was actually used in the argument itself is claimed on this page.