Animal Rights and Animal Welfare

[weiner_teddy]

We are learning about Animal Rights and Animal Welfare in my Specialty Animal Care class. I really didn't understand the meaning between the two, and now I realize how they are so different. What do you guys think about the two issues, and which category would you fall into???

Here's what they mean...

Animal Rights: you fight for animal rights, are equal to humans (equal rights), do not believe in testing on animals, against recreational uses.

Animal Welfare: Believe in testing, hunting, use animals for recreation (as long as it's done humanely)

[iceyshiver21]

umm.. tough one, because people who hunt and eat deer, in a way control population, which should be the wolves job but we have pushed them out of there orginal home, I fall into both and neither.

[Kater]

Animal Rights

[Soledad]

Animal welfare.

I do not believe that animals' rights are equal to human rights. Otherwise, I would not be eating them or using them for clothing.

I would also argue those two definitions. They way they're worded is misleading.

[Kater]

I agree with Soledad that these definitions are somewhat misleading I think due to their simplicity.

For example, my understanding of animal rights as well as my personal belief takes into consideration the differences between humans and other animals which gives rise to some differences in the rights that each have. However, this is no reason to deny the basic principle of equality to nonhuman animals.

If anyone wants to talk about animal rights further I'd be happy to continue the discussion through Private Messaging. However, I don't want to litter these boards with my opinions if no one is interested.

[weiner_teddy]

I'm sorry for the misleading definitions, these are what my teacher told us how to word them.

Any ideas how to fix them??

[Ann]

I think this definition is a tad better:

The difference between the Animal Welfare and Animal Rights movements are that the former criticizes certain forms of needless cruelty but does not see meat-production, fishing, dairy farming or egg production, for example, as needless. Animal Rights, in contrast, asserts that animals are not merely subjects to be treated and disposed of at our whim, but that they are sentient creatures and deserve to live lives free from mental and emotional suffering as far as possible. Closely related philosophies surround vegetarianism and veganism.

My thoughts on this subject is on the border line... I do lean a bit more towards Animal Rights though.

Animal rights too ! Not all the way , but I am strongly against testing on animals . Why not all the way ? I love leather shoes , milk , eggs

[popcornbird]

I'm somewhere in the middle. I am deadly against animal testing, but animals for food is another story. I also cannot compare the rights of an animal to that of a human. If there was a house on fire, I would definitely save a human child inside before saving his cat, so that's what I mean. Of course animal rights are extremely important, but I'm fine with eating certain animals for food as keeping our side of the food chain. Animal rights in my opinion, come just an inch after human.

[weiner_teddy]

Thank you Ann for making the definitions more understandable, I just wanted to see how everybody felt on those issues.

[COCatMama]

Definitely, Animal Rights here

[iceyshiver21]

Originally posted by lut
Animal rights too ! Not all the way , but I am strongly against testing on animals . Why not all the way ? I love leather shoes , milk , eggs

I HATE testing on animals, and thats why bonbell products are so great!

[COCatMama]

oops I consume dairy and the occasional egg, but I do not eat anything that swims, walks, flies or goes #2, lol. Have been a vegetarian for going on 13 years now. Also I prefer FAUX leather shoes etc and would not be caught dead in fur, eww.

[smokey the elder]

I fall more into the "animal welfare" camp. I think animal testing should be reserved for pharmaceutical products, never for cosmetics. I choose not to wear fur; there are synthetics you can't tell from the real thing. I think humans are stewards of Planet Earth. We may use its resources, but with caution and respect.

[Anakins mom]

Animal Welfare.
I live in an area where I see the devastation when the deer and coyote population overwhelmes the natural resources.

I don't agree with animal testing for cosmetics and limited testing for pharmaceutical interests.

I also feel the animals used for meat need to be handled, housed and euthanized humanely. I am not a fan of how most slaughter houses handle their animals at all. I had a friend who was in Thoroughbred Rescue for over 10 years...I could tell people some real horror stories. (I won't.)

I feel that we have good laws on the books as far as abuse and neglect etc of animals...I would really like to see more aggressive use of them. We don't need more laws...we need to use the ones we have already! Too many repeat offenders are given back the very animals they abused or are allowed to move and set-up shop in another area and 'start clean'.