Abstract
The journey of animal rights protection has been a long one. Nonetheless, the protection of animal rights is an issue that is currently given serious consideration in many parts of the world. The U.S. and the U.K. are among the pioneers of animal rights protection and currently have some of the most elaborate laws that guard against the mistreatment and abuse of animals. Numerous non-governmental organizations are involved in the fight for animal rights. They push the government, institutions, and individuals to take cognizance of animal rights. As a result, some notable steps have been made, but only in the developed world. These organizations need to extend their efforts to the developing world too so that the protection of animals becomes a global undertaking.
Animal Rights
The debate surrounding animal rights is an age-old one. However, it took longer to become a mainstream issue. Many countries across the world currently have laws that seek to protect animals, but the laws have been largely ignored or are enforced sparingly. Nonetheless, proponents of animal rights continue to make their case in favor of animals while their opponents strive to prove that animals are here to make the lives of human beings comfortable and enjoyable. This debate is unlikely to end any time soon, but the world is gradually taking cognizance of the fight for the rights of animals. Proponents of animal rights seem to be gaining ground because the developed world is increasingly becoming mindful of the conditions under which the animals they consume as the meat was raised. This trend has been common among the EU member countries and is taking shape in the U.S. as well. As these changes continue to gradually take shape, it is important to understand where the idea of animal rights came from and why it has become more important now than it was in the past.
It is important to understand that agitating for animal rights does not mean that animals should be valued more than humans beings are or that they should be treated equally with humans. Rather animal rights are meant to protect animals from exploitation and abuse by human beings. The laws that advocate animal rights make sure that the most basic and vital rights of animals are observed and respected (Grant, 2006). Since they posses their own lives and their basic interests, animals have a right to be protected. The philosophy behind animal rights is that human beings and other non-human animals should be treated almost the same way because they are almost similar (Regan, 1983).
Proponents of the idea of animal rights seek to protect them from being used for activities such as medical research, being hunted, or imprisoned in either zoos or circuses among others. Animals are entitled to their own privacy and people should not infringe on their habitats and interfere with their way of life. The fight for animal rights also entails protecting them from being used as a source of food.
History of Animal Rights Protection in the U.S.
The idea of animal rights, although having existed for many years, began to gather momentum about four decades ago. The call for animal protection and recognition dates back to early began in earnest in the 19th century when Henry Salt and Arthur Schopenhauer started the campaign to create awareness about animal rights, this saw them write the first books on animal awareness (Regan, 1983). In 1975, Peter Singer wrote Animal Liberation and unlike other writers, he argued that animals had, interests that were supposed to be protected (Grant, 2006). He is among the most considered by animal rights activists. Another great writer on animal rights is Richard Ryder who introduced and has written deeply on “speciesism.” Speciesism is the assignment of different values to animals based on their species (Sunstein, 2002).
It is important to note that although closely related, animal rights and animal welfare are two different concepts (Bousfield & Brown, 2010). While animal rights activists fight for the recognition of animal rights, animal welfare activists, on the other hand, are fight for better treatment of animals in a more “humane” manner (Animal Rights Psuedoscience, n.d.). Those who agitate for animal welfare do not mind animals being owned as property. They also have no problem with animal consumption as long as the animal is not subjected to torture during slaughter and production (Bousfield & Brown, 2010). This reasoning contradicts that of animal rights activists who believe that there is no humane way to kill an animal (Grant, 2006). Thus, the prime idea behind animal welfare is to ensure that the well-being of all animals is observed while animal rights activists are concerned with ensuring that laws that seek to protect animals are enacted and recognized.
America has advanced much in becoming a modern state that has well-defined laws on animal rights. The eighth edition of these laws contains overall animal protection legislation and related statutes for all states (Francione, 2010). These laws are quite explicit about how research labs and organizations should conduct their research activities without violating the rights of the animals. The laws also seek to protect and make ensure that dogs and cats, which are raised in kennels are healthy and well take care of. The Department of Agriculture has been tasked with the responsibility to implement these laws. It is also noteworthy that most communities in the U.S. have their law and ordinances, which seek to ensure that their animals are not subjected to unnecessary cruelty (Animal Protection Laws of the United States of America and Canada, 2013). These laws address all aspects of animal abuse and negligence. They seek to make sure that animals enjoy as many rights as they require.
The U.S. has thousands of animal rights groups. These groups have advocated the enactment of strict laws against the mistreatment animals. However, not all of them believe that animals should be accorded that all the rights that have been included in the animal protection laws. Some of the groups only fight against exploitation of animals. They oppose the usage of animals in research, using their products as raw materials in the making of leather shoes, fur coats, wool sweaters, and silk shirts among others (Francione, 2010). This position is somewhat soft compared to that of other groups that advocate for the total recognition of animal rights. They argue that humans should not engage in activities that undermine animals in any way. The implication of this position is that humans should have no hand in anything that interferes with the quality of life of animals or that, which leads to the death of animals.
In 1966, the United States signed into law the animal welfare act (Bousfield & Brown, 2010). To this day, this law remains the only piece of legislation that oversees the well-being of animals with regards to how they are used in research labs, exhibitions and transportation. However, it has been amended eight times to ensure that it captures the changes that have taken place since it was enacted. The last amendment was done in 2008 to strengthen the previous editions and make it more strict and explicit than before (Animal Protection Laws of the United States of America and Canada, 2013).
The amendment also brought about much more stiffer fines of up to $10,000 per violation, per animal, per day (Animal Rights Psuedoscience, n.d.). These tough measures were aimed at ensuring that there is total order in handling animals. However, these laws have not prevented people from mistreating animals and handling them cruelly. Thousands of animals are rescued annually (Bousfield & Brown, 2010). Most of the cases of animal mistreatment occur in rural. Government data shows a staggering number of animals being victimized and abused every year (Grant, 2006). It is believed that nearly one million animals are killed every year in connection with domestic violence or abuse (Bousfield & Brown, 2010).
With this kind of laws in place, there is no doubt that the United States is among the leading countries in the recognition and protection of animal rights in the world (Animal Rights Psuedoscience, n.d.). Having well stipulated laws on animal protection in either domestic or commercial circumstances makes it a global example on animal rights development. These laws have helped in increasing the number of pets and animals owned by Americans. For example, the number of horses has increased from six million in the 1990s to about ten million (Francione, 2010). It is also believed that the number of pets have tripled from approximate 67 million to 164 million from 1970s to 2012 (Animal Rights Psuedoscience, n.d.).
Animal Rights Protection in the U.K.
The United Kingdom was the first to enact a bill in 1822 to protect the domestic animals from exploitation (Regan, 1983). The bill stated that any one charged with harassing animals would be jailed for three months or charged a fine that does not exceed five pounds. However, there rose concerns that the bill was not well implemented. Several other Acts followed this law in the 20th century including the 1951 the Pet Animals Act, which was later amended to become more effective. In 2006, another legislation, the Animal Welfare Act, was passed to take over from the 1911 law.
The 2006 bill was a great mileage achieved by animal rights activists. It was meant to strengthen the 1911 on protection of animal protection Acts. In the new updated version, it introduced a completely new concept on pet and domestic animal owners. This law gave animals the right to proper nutrition, proper veterinary services, and outlawed the neglect of animals’ basic needs. Animal owners were expected to fully adhere to this act. It also prevented tail docking of dogs for cosmetic reasons, with an exemption of dogs used by the police and Special Forces. A person who failed in these duties was to be served with a notice of warning from the inspector. More so, animals could not be sold to children under the age of five years.
Animal Rights Movements
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals (RSPCA) is the oldest organization that was the first of its kind to be created back in 1824 in England (Regan, 2003). This means that England was among the first countries to start the fight for the recognition of animal rights. The battle for animal rights in U.K. dates back to 17th century. The treatment of animals in agriculture led to formation of animal rights groups. However, these groups were not vibrant and therefore there never achieved anything in their battles (Regan, 2003). By the end of the 19th century, increasing numbers of animals were used in scientific research and this increase saw animal rights groups opposed to it come into force. Some of the organizations formed then are still operational today.
In the first half of the 20th century, most animal rights lobby groups were largely inactive, but regained their momentum from the 1960s. This change came about with the initiation of the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA), which led to protests for the recognition of animal rights (Gharebaghi et al., 2007). HSA used a non-violence to pass their message, which made them win hearts of many. In the early 1970s, a small group broke from HSA, formed another group, and named it Hand of Mercy. However, the tactic of this new group saw two of them jailed for three years in 1974 after they set on fire Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Research laboratories near Milton Keynes among other laboratories (Nobis, 2004).
After their jail term in 1976 they were released and one of them a law student Ronnie Lee founded another organization, Animal Liberation Front (ALF) with the aim of “inflicting economic damage on those who profit from the misery and exploitation of animals,” with an intention of stealing animals from farm, circuses and research centers (Nobis, 2004). However, their tactics escalated and saw the organization turn into acts of arsons. They attacked and destroyed research and academic institutes and retailers. However, this approach never ended well for Ronnie. He was arrested and charged in 1987 and was jailed for ten years.
Among the most vibrant animal rights movements is the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals (SPCA). It was formed after the first animal bill was passed in U.K in 1822. After the law failed to be effectively implemented, Richard Martin, William Wilberforce and Reverend Arthur Broome formed the Organization for Rescuing and Promoting Animal Welfare in 1824. In 1840, Queen Elizabeth gave it Royal status and it became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals (RSPCA). The charity work has inspired the creation of countless similar groups since 1836. It is funded by donors and well-wishers.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is another animal welfare group, which was founded in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk Alex Pacheco. It is an American non-profit organization located in Norfolk, Virginia. “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any way” is their slogan (Animal Rights Psuedoscience, n.d.). It stands against “factory farming, fur farming, animal testing, and the uses of animals in entertainment” (Rights Psuedoscience, n.d., par. 13). It also discourages “eating of meat, fishing, the killing of animals including pests” (Rights Psuedoscience, n.d., par. 13). However, this position has earned them criticism from all corners. According to PETA, they have about three million in membership and they believe they are the largest animal rights group in the world.
Animal Aid for its part was founded in 1977 by Jean Pink to fight for animal rights. It is located in Ton Bridge, England. The formation of this group was to fight against animal abuse and exploitation, which includes using animals for scientific research or using them as food. It was founded on grounds of working peacefully to ensure that they end animal cruelty. It also works hard to unmask what happens to animals in farms and the slaughterhouse. They promote consumption of an animal free diet.
Farm Animal Rights Movements (FARM) was founded by Dr. Alex Hershaft in 1976, and is located in Bethesda, Maryland. Their vision is a world where animals will be free of human exploitation. It was formed under another name, but in 1981 it became Farm Animal Reform Movement.
Friends of Animals (FOA) is another animal rights movement. It is a non-governmental organization founded by Alice Herrington in 1956. It was meant to protect dogs and cats. It works all over the world to free animals from cruelty and institutionalized exploitation. As time went by the organization grew bigger, increased its operations, and now protects wildlife, marine mammals, and zoo animals. Among its achievements is the introduction in Congress of the Research Modernization Act.
Conclusion
In conclusion, animal rights are importnat not only to the animal, but also to human beings. Living with an animal that is well taken care of is not only healthly for the animal, but also good for human health. The laws that protect them may seem tough, but for animal protection to be effective, it should also be accorded the seriousness accorded to human rights. Otherwise, it does not matter how many laws are in place because animal exploitation and abuse will still go on. The government also needs to create more facilities to protect and rehabilitate this animals.With the high number of pets in human households, it should be clear to the government that there is a need for a data collection center specifically designed for animals. This step will help in enforcing the already laid down laws that are meant to protect the animals. It will also guide and control the population of animals, especially pets. Further, it will make it easier for animal rights officers to keep track of the animals in their regions.
There is also need to ensure that animals that are meant for commercial business are seriously protected and every laid down rule is adhered to fully. This way, animals are unlikely to be subjected to torture while being taken to slaughter houses. It is also important to ensure that the rights of animals that are reared for entertainment reasons are also protected.
For proper treatment of animals, animal rights organizations should not only fight for more laws to be created, but should also enlighten the public on the need for treating animals in a humane way. For animal rights to be recognized all over the world, non-governmental organizations that have charged themselves with the responsibility of advocating animal rights should create awareness not only in one country, but in the whole world. Most undeveloped or developing countries care little about the welfare of the animals in their countries. As such, these organizations still have much to do to ensure that animal rights are protected uniformly across the globe.
References
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