Animals have always been part of the human society and they have been instrumental for the well being of mankind ever since human civilization started. During the ancient times, people hunted animals so as to obtain food for their survival, skins for shelter and finally the bones as their tools. Afterwards, man started domesticating animals mainly for food, security, and clothing and also as beasts of burden in performing various activities. Presently, animals are almost in every aspect of human lives such as the domestic animals, pets, game animals and those for research activities (Hills, 2005). Animals have the rights of being treated in an appropriate manner because they play a significant role in the human life.
Human beings, as well as animals are entitled to their rights because they have the basic understanding of the world and their natural environment. As a result, Regan (2004) animal rights involve the suggestion that animals are at liberty to control their own lives and also receive the same consideration as human beings in terms of their rights. Accordingly, animal rights advocates agree that animals must not only be viewed in terms of providing food, beasts of burden, property and clothing but also in terms of their rights. This is because it is inappropriate to take away the animals rights while people continue using them in achieving their own interests.
According to Singer (1995), the fundamental standard of equality does not need uniform form of treatment to people and animals but it calls for equal consideration of their rights. Animals, even though they do not talk, reason or hear, have the right to be free from any form of suffering and mistreatment. This is because all animals have the ability to suffer from any form of mistreatment in a similar way human beings have the capacity to experience any form of suffering. Animals can feel pain, happiness, fear, irritation, solitude, and love. As a result, animal have their rights to be treated in a humane manner by human being because they have feeling.
Animal rights advocates believe that animals have a natural worth in line with their existence apart from being useful to human beings in several ways. As a result, the animal rights advocates believe that all animals have the right to live and the right to be free from any form of pain and affliction. Similarly, several cultural traditions throughout the universe for instance the Hindus, Buddhists and Jainism are in the support of the animal rights. This is because animals possess inherent significance and moral rights in their lives together rather than existing solely for meeting the demands of human beings (Hills, 2005).
Animals have their rights and several protectionists are advocating for reforms in checking the treatment of animals and also alter the relationship that exists among the human beings and animals. Consequently, the animal rights require that man should not interfere with the natural habitats and the innate way of life of the animals. As a result, the animal rights movement are on the view that animals have rights and the rights must be checked when they are being used for food, pets, in sports, in scientific research and also in product safety testing (Sapontzis 2005, p. 253).
In conclusion, animals have rights and man has the responsibility of ensuring that the rights are administered to the animals particularly on how human being relate with the animals. In line with the animal rights, human beings should not only protect the animals that are of significance to them such as the domesticated animals, but they should consider all animals and also treat them equally.
References
Hills, A., 2005. Do animals have rights?. Cambridge: Icon Books.
Regan, T., 2004. The case for animal rights: Updated with a new preface. 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Sapontzis, S., 2005. Moral Community and Animal Rights. American Philosophical Quarterly, 22(3), pp. 251–257.
Singer, P., 1995. Animal liberation. London: Pimlico.
