Argument For Animal Rights

Odds are you’ve been to a zoo, you have eaten a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets, and you’ve used a product that was originally tested on animals. This is why we’re all affected by the issue of animal rights, not just the rights of our family pets. There needs to be a larger concern for the rights of farm animals, those in captivity, and those used for experimentation. However there’s continuously a lack of respect for these animals’ rights. Opponents argue that animals don’t deserve rights since farm animals provide us with food, animals used for experimentation ensure that products are safe, and captive animals only serve to benefit humans. To begin with, the opposing argument is made that farm animals don’t need their rights since their

In fact, according to Aaron Timoshanko who has a PhD in animal law, animals are often confined to crates or stalls much too small for them to be able to express normal animal behavior (Timoshanko 516). Therefore, there needs to be a larger respect for farm animals and their rights. So, even though farm animals provide us with food, it is necessary for them to still have rights that ensure they will live in a proper environment. Next, opponents argue that animals used for experimentation do not need their rights since their intended purpose is to test products to ensure they’re safe for human use. While there is a need to test products for safety, there is no need to kill hundreds of animals and subject them to cruel experimentation. There are other ways to check the safety of a product without testing it on animals. In fact, most of these animals end up getting killed through experimentations, typically it is not painless. According to Cristina Cattaneo, whom has a PhD in economics, a majority of the killing methods used

There are a number of forms of entertainment that don’t involve the captivity of animals. Also, we can expand our knowledge on animals by observing them in their natural habitats. It is nearly impossible for popular captive sights like zoos, aquariums, and amusement parks to meet the needs of the animals they hold; leading to psychological issues, shorter lives, and other health concerns. These animals are subjected to non-natural environments and sometimes cruel treatment. In fact, a recent article noted that at the Copenhagen Zoo four lions where killed along with a 2 year old giraffe, due to a lack of space (Keating). There would be no need for space related killings if animal captivity was put to a halt. Not only this, but animal captivity has proven to be dangerous to the humans the animals interact with. There have been numerous events where animals held captive will injure or even kill one of their trainers. One specific example is with Dawn Brancheau, a former SeaWorld trainer. According to an expert in Zoology, Dawn was dragged underwater by an orca, just a few months after a death of another Orca trainer (Palmer). This displays the harm that an animal can pose to a human at any given time, therefore their need to be released from captivity. While the argument states that animals in captivity don’t have rights since their