American Animal Protection

The starting point of this essay is to establish and lay out an animal rights claim. The point here is not to solely list which specific rights animals have, as that goes beyond the scope of this essay, but to discuss why animals do in fact have a claim to rights, and what this means for humans. The need to understand the intrinsic, or inherent value of animals allows us to see the base from which their claim to rights is derived. Inherent value refers to the idea that animals are valuable in themselves, not in what they provide us. Tom Regan, an animal ethicist, sets out the moral grounding from which we can

The National Wildlife Federation, or NWF, can be accessed for in depth information via their interest group website at www.nwf.org. Selection of the National Wildlife Federation, for myself, was brought forth by my affinity for the outdoors and nature in general. Growing up enjoying activities such as canoeing, camping, fishing, hiking and boating has allowed myself to gain a respect for the vastness of our nations wild beauty. Along with this respect comes the aspiration to pass the joy of the outdoors along to my children and thus I feel diving into the NWF will prove to be beneficial to our family. Having no prior knowledge of this organization, I am very much excited about the task of deciphering this entity.

In his article, “Let Them Eat Dog”, Jonathan Safran Foer analyzes the American taboo of eating dog. In doing so, Foer explores the implication of an important question surrounding animal rights – what differentiates a food source from its fellow creatures? Initially, Foer illustrates the differing views of dog consumption around the world, and subsequently questions the logic behind the American conscience. Dog and other companion animals, Foer reasons, are only exempt from consumption based on loose claims of intelligence and affection. He is quick to indicate that livestock, such as pigs, possess an equal level of intellect and provide similar displays of affection. Consequently, Foer proves the differences between food sources and other

Murder and abuse cases never fail to startle society. Moral codes are flouted with unmatched rigorousness by these indubitable egregious crimes. Sufferers in these cases are often people. Nonetheless, these callous obscenities should not be seen as less important when animals are the victims. Animals undergo horrendous abuse due to barbaric individuals, greed, and unnecessary lab testing.

The Intriguing Iroquois Myth of North America Dating all the way back to the early founding days, North America holds an interesting myth to all Iroquois Native Americans. Around the early 1800's many Indians told elaborate stories of creation that explained how they came to be as a culture, and also how the land we live on today was created. What is most interesting is how did these Native Americans come up with the stories that we considered as legends or myth's today? These Iroquois or “Woodland Indians” created a fascinating genesis about their people and culture through animals and nature. All Native Americans in the early 1800’s had such high respect for animals.

Regan, T. (1985). The case for animal rights. In P. Singer (Ed.), In defense of animals (pp. 13-26). Retrieved from http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-m/regan03.htm

In “The Case for Animal Rights,” Regan states that instead of viewing animals as existing solely for human disposal, or as having value only because they retain the same feelings of pain and satisfaction humans do, we should consider animals as

In today’s world dogs may very well be considered man’s best friend, but in the days of old horses weren’t just man’s best friend, they were the most important tool in his possession. From being a form transportation to being used in competitions and battles to even being a source of food, horses have always been an iconic figure in American history. Movies such as The Horse Whisperer, Dreamer, and Flicka portray horses as majestic and powerful creatures full of grace and beauty that are much more of a companion than a tool. This is quite possibly why the topic of horse slaughter has been such a taboo in today’s culture. While in many countries around the world horsemeat is considered a type of delicacy, to most American’s the idea of eating these exquisite creatures is hard to stomach. There are people who see no wrong in slaughtering horses just like any other livestock animal, though others find it inhumane and cruel. Those who are pro-slaughter have many practical and economic reasons for supporting it, while those opposed have ethical issues against it.

Thesis: The American Welfare Institute is an organization that helps fight against the mistreatment of animals. They have supported and fought for many laws to be passed and have filed court cases against people mistreating animals. This organization also helps raise money for shelters and wildlife organizations.

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the only federal law that gives protection to warm -blooded animals in research laboratories. Under this law, it is the researchers’ job to make sure that they provide these animals pain relievers, provide them with the best veterinary care, housing, and food. This law only protects ten percent of the lab animals. The rest of the ninety percent of animals in labs aren’t protected: rats, mice and birds. This means legally the researchers do not have to provide these unprotected lab animals with decent care at all. Researchers can choose to treat these unprotected animals however they want and with as many rats, mice and birds as they please. Knowing how unfair the Welfare Act is towards the many lab animals it should be protecting, the voters should inform and show concern to their legislators in order to stop the mistreatment of these animals. The Animal Welfare Act should protect all animals being tested in research laboratories.

The major players in eco-terrorism are the organizations, businesses and the government. Two of the most infamous groups are the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Originating in the United Kingdom, the ALF grew to the United states in the late 1970’s. ALF’s main purpose is to stop animal abuse and cruelty. They started out as non-violent, but overtime they started resorting to arson. Despite the violent aspects of the group, ALF discourages acts of violence against animals. The ALF is considered a terrorist organization by the FBI.

o domesticate animals such as dogs, goats, chickens, sheep, and beasts of burden between 10,000 and 18,000 years ago. Many people originally believed that because animals had no souls they also felt no pain; however, this belief changed as the study of animals increased. The first animal-protection law in western civilization was adopted in 1641; making it illegal to “exercise any Tirranny or Crueltie towards any bruite Creature which are usuallie kept for man’s use.” (7) In 1789, the English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, was the first to state that animals have rights. This concept was different from the belief that animals felt pain, in his claims animals deserved basic human rights. This new theory shook the foundation of many peoples belief in what animal rights truly is. In 1821, Maine became the first state to adopt modern anti-cruelty laws for the U.S.; every other state eventually passed similar legislation. It still wasn’t until the 21st century that lawsuits in the interest of animals became common. The animal rights movement has become most active in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Animal rights organizations have been using court systems to protect animals from being used in harmful activities, such as the agricultural industry and as being research subjects, in the belief that they have the same basic rights as all humans.

Under the Illinois Animal Control Act, Castro is likely to be considered liability for Bevers’ injuries.

In “The Case for Animal Rights,” Tom Regan emphasizes his philosophy on animal and human equality. After reading further into his work, he illustrates a societal system that belittles animals and their significance to our own existence. Regan conceptualizes that animals won’t have real rights unless we change our beliefs. We need to acknowledge a problem. After identifying the issue, we must recognize that there is a need for change in society. In addition, he also reiterates the importance of the populace changing the way they view animals. The way society views animals will create a snowball effect that will influence politicians to also believe in animal rights.

Introduction: I remembered how throughout my life I respected and admired people that tried to help animals in need. I remembered how I felt when I saw first-hand the result of abuse. I remembered how I wanted to help those poor animals that were being treated so cruelly. And for all that I remembered, I decided that the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) was the interest group I felt strongly for and chose to research.