INTRODUCTION “The greatness of a nation is judged by the way it treats its animals” - Mahatma Gandhi Whether at home, on the farm, or at the dining table, animals play an important role in day-to-day life in the society. They happen to be companions, a source of livelihood, entertainment, inspiration, and of course food and clothing to people all over the world. Yet animals can and do exist independent from people and, as living beings, they arguably have certain interests separate from their utility to humanity. As such, the society is increasingly faced with legal, economic, and ethical dilemmas about the proper status for animals and the extent to which their interests should be respected, even when these conflict with what is best for humans. These aspects have resulted in a new …show more content…
Humans and animals have had a social, cultural, and ecological relationship since times immemorial. Humans have always had various types of relationships with animals and continue to use non-human animals in many ways. Animals provide some part of the food supply for humans in virtually all societies and have provided several types of animal products such as clothing, adornment, or implements for human use. Animals have also provided humans with companionship and service as pets or working entities. Dogs and cats have served as working animals, guardians, hunters, and pets for thousands of years while working animals such as oxen, mules, horses, camels, yaks, llamas and elephants have enabled civilizations to farm and to transport goods to market. Many animals have been used as workers depending on the animals that are found locally or that could be imported. Just as these animals were used in producing and moving food products they were also used to enable nations and empires to fight