I'm an Animal Lover, But I'm NOT Pro Animal Rights | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

I'm an Animal Lover, But I'm NOT Pro Animal Rights

And you might not be too.

6
I'm an Animal Lover, But I'm NOT Pro Animal Rights
Nicki Csenge

'Animal rights' is a term that’s been tossed around for years. Organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are well-known animal rights groups that are constantly putting out media about injustices animals suffer, be it slaughter for human consumption, cosmetic testing or serious cases of neglect.

As an animal lover and avid horseback rider, I’m very familiar with these types of groups, their work and the media they disseminate. But I don’t agree with them.

An animal lover that doesn’t agree with animal rights groups? It sounds like a contradiction.

Rather than supporting animal rights, I support animal welfare. Changing that one word really does make more of a difference than it might initially seem to. Wesley J. Smith, author of A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy, describes the two movements saying, “Both movements are concerned with the way people treat animals, but that is where the similarity ends. In fact, animal welfare and animal rights represent incompatible moral principles and mutually exclusive goals.”

So what are these “incompatible moral principles and mutually exclusive goals”?

Animal rights activists are opposed to any use of animals that prohibits them from living a natural, free life. They would like to see animals have legal rights and equity with humans, and serve no purpose other than to live their lives, no matter how benign the use is to them.

Animal welfare activists, on the other hand, believe humans have higher moral value than animals, but that animals have intrinsic value and it is the responsibility of humans (as the higher group in the moral hierarchy) to treat and use animals humanely.

This stark difference is often not understood as “animal rights” has become a catch-all term for the notion that animals should not be abused, neglected or otherwise treated poorly. But the anthropomorphism (read: applying human characteristics to non-human entities and objects) of animals has led to some confusion on what is abuse and what is use.

Here’s an example that’s near and dear to my heart and profession: horses. Horses are actually classified as livestock animals, not companion animals. This is a HUGE distinction that is based on the primary use of horses being for production and business purposes, not company. Using horses for sports, farm work, recreational riding, scientific research and as pasture pets are all in violation of animal rights, but not animal welfare.

There are many horses, and other animals, that depend on humans for subsistence. Domestic dogs and cats need to be fed, many animals need medications in order to survive. Animal rights activists would rather these animals be in their natural habitats, despite many of them being unable to survive there. This, and my belief that other animals should be able to be used humanely by humans – for food, for work, for companionship – is why I’m not pro animal rights.

I could go on and on, but the take-away is this: it’s an important difference that changing “rights” to “welfare” makes. Changing that one word is the little known, but hugely important difference between two drastically opposed ideologies. Changing that one word is the difference between your dog being able to take you to court for not throwing that tennis ball and being able to take your dog for a walk. Changing that one word changes things for animals for the better.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

1988
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

301342
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments