Animal rights

Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most
basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the
similar interests of human beings. Advocates approach the issue from different
philosophical positions but agree that animals should be viewed as legal
persons and members of the moral community, not property, and that they
should not be used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment.
Critics argue that animals are unable to enter into a social contract or
make moral choices, and therefore cannot be regarded as possessors of rights,
a position summed up by the philosopher Roger Scruton, who writes that only
human beings have duties, and that, "[the] corollary is inescapable: we alone
have rights." A parallel argument is that there is nothing inherently wrong with
using animals as resources if there is no unnecessary suffering, a view known
as the animal welfare position.[11] There has also been criticism, including from
within the animal rights movement itself, of certain forms of animal rights
activism, in particular the destruction of fur farms and animal laboratories by the
Animal Liberation Front.

Late 20th century: Emergence of an animal liberation movement

1960s: Formation of the Oxford group and the first wave of writers
A small group of intellectuals, particularly at Oxford University — now
known as the Oxford Group — began to view the increasing use of animals as
unacceptable exploitation. In 1964, Ruth Harrison published Animal Machines,
a critique of factory farming, which proved influential. Psychologist Richard D.
Ryder, who became a member of the Oxford Group, cites a 1965 Sunday
Times article by novelist Brigid Brophy, called "The Rights of Animals," as
having encouraged his own interest.
“ 1975: Publication of Animal Liberation ”
It was in a review of Animals, Men and Morals for the The New York
Review of Books on April 5, 1973, that the Australian philosopher, Peter
Singer, first put forward his arguments in favour of animal liberation, which
have become pivotal within the movement. He based his arguments on the
principle of utilitarianism, the view, broadly speaking, that an act is right
insofar as it leads to the "greatest happiness of the greatest number," a
phrase first used in 1776 by Jeremy Bentham in A Fragment on
Government. He drew an explicit comparison between the liberation of
women and the liberation of animals.
In 1970, over lunch in Oxford with fellow student Richard Keshen,
who was a vegetarian, Singer first came to believe that, by eating animals,
he was engaging in the oppression of other species by his own. Keshen
introduced Singer to the Godlovitches, and Singer and Roslind Godlovitch
spent hours together refining their views. Singer's review of the
Godlovitches' book evolved into Animal Liberation, published in 1975, now
widely regarded as the "bible" of the modern animal rights movement.

1976: Founding of the Animal Liberation Front

A British law student, Ronnie Lee, formed an anti-hunting activist
group in Luton in 1971, later calling it the Band of Mercy after a 19th-
century RSPCA youth group. The Band attacked hunters' vehicles by
slashing tires and breaking windows, calling their brand of activism "active
compassion." In August 1974, Lee and another activist were sentenced to
three years in prison. They were paroled after 12 months, with Lee
emerging more militant than ever. In 1976, he brought together the
remaining Band of Mercy activists, with some fresh faces, 30 activists in all,
in order to start a new movement. He called it the Animal Liberation Front
(ALF), a name he hoped would come to "haunt" those who used animals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_rights

Animal Rights and Care

Animal rights is an emotional issue and recently its supporters have
shown how passionate and determined they are to speak on behalf of
animals. There is a huge amount of written information available for anyone
interested in this issue, much of it from animal rights organisations.
DEFRA (the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs) publishes various leaflets explaining how the welfare of animals is
protected by law. Campaigning organisations, meanwhile, focus on specific
issues of animal rights and welfare. The League Against Cruel Sports, for
example, campaigns against hunting, which it regards as cruel, while
the Countryside Alliance argues that it is an effective form of countryside
conservation. Compassion in World Farming protests against 'factory
farming' (eg. battery hens), and other groups argue for a ban on cosmetic
tests and vivisection, laboratory experiments on animals for medical or
scientific research.
There are a number of organisations you can join if you want to
become more active in protecting animals. The RSPCA is an animal
welfare charity. It focuses on the way people treat animals and aims to
promote kindness by preventing cruelty.

Animal experiments:
• Cosmetic testing on animals
Tests of cosmetics on animals have now been abolished in British
laboratories. Animals have been used for many years to test new cosmetic
products. The RSPCA has spoken out against this as have many 'new
wave' cosmetic producers.
Organisations
British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV)

Conservation:
• Protection and conservation of animals
There is a difference between animal protection and animal
conservation.
Animal protection is about the care of an individual animal or bird
whereas animal conservation is concerned with a population or species. It
is often the case that animal protection implies there is some danger to the
animal, perhaps from people or from pollution, whereas animal
conservation is about safeguarding environments so animals can live
undisturbed.
Until very recently the law did not protect wild animals from cruelty.
The Wild Mammals Protection Act which came into effect on 30 April 1997
protects wild mammals (though not birds or fish) from acts of cruelty such
as kicking, beating, stoning or drowning.
However there are a number of exceptions. For example, if an
animal is injured as a result of lawful hunting, shooting, coursing or pest
control activity, and is then killed swiftly and humanely, this is not illegal.
Because the Act has only recently come into effect, it may be some time
before the courts interpret sections of it.
• Turtles in Trouble
Turtles have been on the earth for 200 million years! There are
seven species, or kinds, of sea turtles. All are endangered.
• Protecting wildlife and countryside areas
There is a wide range of areas which are defined for their scientific
interest, their importance for plant or wildlife, or for their habitats.
The National Trust, Wildlife Trusts, English Nature, the Countryside
Commission, the European Commission and local authorities are some of
the organisations responsible for establishing them.
• Wildlife conservation
It is estimated that there are between 13 and 14 million different
species on earth and only about 1.75 million have been scientifically
described. Scientists and environmentalists are concerned at the increasing
number of species in danger of extinction. It is not just rare animals which
are threatened. Species of butterflies, frogs, toads, newts, snakes and
insects are all in decline.
• Annual RSPB Garden Birdwatch
The Big Garden Birdwatch takes place at the end of January every
year. The Birdwatch continues to inspire hundreds of thousands of people
to watch the birds their gardens and local parks. Approximately 6 million
birds are recorded and 210,000 gardens surveyed.
Organisations
Born Free Foundation
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Farm animals:
According to the RSPCA 750 million farm animals are reared in the
UK each year. The huge demand for meat, eggs and dairy products has
encouraged farmers to use intensive methods of farming. Usually this
means animals are kept in a limited space with little opportunity to roam
outside and look for their own food. Although there are government
regulations on the conditions in which animals are raised, transported and
slaughtered, many people feel they do not go far enough.
To promote best practice in caring for farm animals, the RSPCA
helped launch and now monitors the Freedom Food mark. If you see this
mark on a food wrapper or packet it means the RSPCA believes the
animals were properly cared for throughout their lives. According to the
RSPCA animals need:
 a proper diet;
 a comfortable place to live;
 veterinary treatment when they need it;
 to be free from distress; and
 room to behave normally together.
• Antibiotics and farm animals
The use of antibiotics as part of farming have been in the news
lately. Cattle are often kept together in large groups. This is known as
intensive factory farming. Overcrowding causes infection amongst the herd
so they are routinely fed antibiotics with their normal feed.
Antibiotics have also been used to artificially boost the animal's
growth. These are similar to the antibiotics used to treat humans and there
is now growing evidence that we are becoming resistant to antibiotics as a
result. The fact that we are consuming antibiotics though the food chain
means that our own ability to fight disease is reduced.
• Foot and mouth disease
This is a disease rarely seen in the UK but we will all remember the
outbreak in 2000. Before this it was which was last seen in Britain in 1967.
The disease affects farm animals including cows, sheep, goats and pigs.
Other animals with cloven hooves and feet are also at risk - for example
deer and hedgehogs.
There is no cure for foot and mouth disease but it is not a fatal
condition. It can kill young livestock though. Adult animals normally recover
within a few weeks, but they will carry the virus for up to two years..
The main risks are from contact with an infected animal, infected
land or buildings, and transferring the virus on hands, clothing and
footwear. The virus is sensitive to heat, and disinfectants, but it can remain
active for some time on clothing or dried mud or dung on shoes or vehicles.
Indirect transfer via person to person contact - for example at a sporting or
social event - and then onward to another animal, is possible but unlikely.
Contact local tourist information offices to check whether attractions are
open.
Organisations
Animal Aid
Viva!
Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC)

Live export of animals:

In late 1994 and early 1995, the export of live calves for veal came
into the news. One of the objections to exporting calves was that the
animals have to travel such long distances before they are slaughtered.
Live animals are expensive to transport but there are advantages
because the meat is fresh when the animals are slaughtered near the
market.
Animal welfare organisations argued that there should be a
European standard for the transport of live animals, including a maximum
travelling time before a rest and feeding period. Inspectors should also be
appointed to monitor the transport of the animals.
 On 1 July 1998, new regulations for live exports were introduced to
implement the 1995 European Union (EU) directive on the transport of
animals. However, the new regulations in some cases actually extend
journey times for animals.

Pets:
Although the law protects most animals from cruelty, thousands of
pets are abandoned every year. Many of these are rescued by the RSPCA.
In 1993 the Society found homes for over 80,000 animals, mostly dogs and
cats. Others had to be put down or were treated for a variety of health
problems before being returned to their owners.
The RSPCA is the main agency in the UK providing welfare services
to animals.
Throughout the country its inspectors give advice on the conditions
in which animals are kept, investigate complaints, rescue animals in
distress, run animal welfare centres and find new homes for abandoned
animals.
The Society also publishes a range of leaflets with information on
caring for your animal and giving advise on what to do if you are thinking of
buying a particular pet. It is important to be aware of the cost of looking
after a pet and the time and effort needed to take care of an animal
properly.
There are opportunities for volunteering with the RSPCA in many
areas of its work, from fundraising and public relations to maintaining
animal centres and clinics.
• The Pet Travel Scheme
The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is the system that allows pet animals
from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they
meet certain conditions. It also means that people in the UK can, having
taken their pets to these countries, bring them back without the need for
quarantine.
PETS was introduced for dogs and cats travelling from certain
European countries on 28 February 2000. The Scheme was extended to
Cyprus, Malta and certain Long Haul countries and territories on 31
January 2001.
In order to qualify for the Pets Travel Scheme (PETS), owners will
need to provide a veterinary certificate stating that their cat or dog has been
microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and blood tested by a DEFRA
(formerly MAFF) approved laboratory.
Once this certificate has been issued the pet can travel within the
terms of the scheme for the period of the certificate's validity. However, on
each occasion that the pet travels, the following must also happen:
• The pet owner must produce a certificate declaring that the
animal has been vaccinated against ticks and worms in the
period 24 - 48 hours before entry into the U.K (the vet
administering the vaccination will normally issue the certificate).
• The owner must also complete a declaration stating that the pet
has not been outside the qualifying countries for the scheme in
the 6 months prior to entry into the U.K.
Organizations:
Blue Cross
Cat Protection League
Kennel Club
ational Fancy Rat Society
Paws for Kids
Pet Fostering Service
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)

Protecting animals:
• Rights for circus animals
Animals were once the central focus of family entertainment
provided in the "big top". However, as our knowledge of the needs of
animals has increased, they have been used less and less. There are some
circus families though who still believe that they play an essential part of
the show.
• Animals in Zoos
There are 5000 zoos worldwide. These can offer protection to
endangered species and help boost populations in the wild. Zoos can be
educational and interesting places for young people and families to visit.
However some people feel that they are an outdated concept and that their
main purpose is entertainment.
• Travellers' Animal Alert
Travellers' Alert is a dynamic online campaign working to alleviate
the suffering of wild animals used in tourism experiences by:
 Generating greater public awareness of the issues
surrounding wild animal cruelty and exploitation
 Encouraging you the public to alert us of any wild animal
cruelty you see on your travels both at home and abroad
 Promoting the philosophies of the Born Free Foundation

Organizations:
SPANA - Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad
World Wide Fund for Nature UK.
Captive Animals' Protection Trust (CAPT)
British Trust for Ornithology
Born Free Foundation
Blue Cross
Bat Conservation Trust
ARKive
Animal Defenders
Animal Action Club
http://www.youthinformation.com/Templates/List.asp?NodeID=89783

Basic Tenets of Animal Rights By Doris Lin, About.com

Animal rights is the belief that animals have an intrinsic value
separate from any value they have to humans, and are worthy of moral
consideration. They have a right to be free of oppression, confinement, use
and abuse by humans.
 The idea of animal rights may seem foreign to many people because
throughout the world, animals are abused and killed for a wide variety of
socially acceptable purposes. What is socially acceptable varies from one
culture to the next. While eating dogs is morally offensive to some, there
are those who would object to the practice of eating cows. The fact that
these socially acceptable purposes vary from one culture to the next is an
indication that the moral justification for these uses and killings is ingrained
culturally, and is not based on a consistent moral position.

What is “Undue” Suffering?

When is suffering justified? Many animal activists would say that
since humans are capable of living without animal-based foods, living
without animal entertainment and living without cosmetics tested on
animals, these forms of animal suffering have no moral justification. What
about medical research? Non-animal medical research is available,
although there is quite a bit of debate over the scientific value of animal
research versus non-animal research. Some argue that results from animal
experimentation are not applicable to humans, and we should conduct
research on human cell and tissue cultures, as well as human subjects who
provide voluntary, informed consent. Others argue that a cell or tissue
culture cannot simulate a whole animal, and animals are the best available
scientific models. All would probably agree that there are certain
experiments that cannot be done on humans, regardless of informed
consent. From a pure animal rights standpoint, animals should not be
treated differently from humans. Since involuntary human experimentation
is universally condemned regardless of its scientific value and animals are
incapable of giving voluntary consent to an experiment, animal
experimentation should also be condemned.
http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalrights101/a/BasicTenets.htm

Making Changes in Your Life to Help Animals By Doris Lin,

About.com
For many activists, making changes in your own life is the first step
towards helping animals. Each time we buy or boycott a product, we are
voting with our wallets. By making these changes, you become part of the
solution.
1. Switch to a Vegan Diet
This is the most direct way in which we can help animals. If we eat
fewer animal products, there will be less demand for them, and fewer
animals will be bred and slaughtered for human consumption.
2. Do Not Purchase Items Made of Fur, Leather, Wool or Silk
By decreasing the demand for these products, we will cause fewer
animals to be bred and/or killed for them. Fur, leather and silk all require the
deaths of animals for their production. Even though sheep do not need to
be killed in order to obtain their wool, the commercial production of wool
sometimes includes cruel practices, and always leads to the killing of
individual sheep who are unable to produce enough quality wool or are
unable to breed.
3. Boycott Companies That Test on Animals, and Buy Only
Cruelty-Free Products
When you’re not sure whether a company tests on animals, contact
the company and ask them. It’s important to know before you buy, and this
tells them that there is a demand for cruelty-free products. Two of the
largest cosmetics companies, Revlon and Avon, stopped testing on animals
after pressure from animal activists.
4. Make Sure Your Own Cats, Dogs and Rabbits are Spayed and
Neutered
Millions of unwanted cats, dogs and rabbits are put to sleep in
shelters all over the US every year. By spaying and neutering your own
animals, you’ll make sure that you are not contributing to the problem.
5. Adopt From a Shelter or Rescue Group Instead of Buying
Animals When you buy from a store or a breeder, you are
supporting animal breeding. With so many shelters full of lovable,
adoptable animals, we should provide homes for the animals who are
already here instead of breeding more.
6. Boycott Zoos, Circuses and Other Types of Animal
Entertainment
Instead, support genuine animal sanctuaries where the animals have
all been rescued and the sanctuary does not breed, buy or sell any of their
animals. Support animal-free circuses, like Cirque du Soleil.
http://animalrights.about.com/od/changesinyourownlife/tp/Changes-
in-Your-Own-Life.--0p.htm