The Voice of Animals

Tom Regan stated in his book, ‘The Case for Animal Rights’, “Animals are subjects-of-a-life just as much as we are... They have beliefs and desires; perception, memory, and a sense of the future."

Non-human animals have been a part of our ecosystem for centuries, from before humans even existed. They exist in literally every part of our lives, from forests and zoo animals to loyal pets that have proven to always benefit their owner.

In the Kardiovize Brno 2030 study, it was proven that pet owners, specifically dog owners, are more likely to report physical activity, diet, and blood glucose at ideal level, and smoking at a poor level, which resulted in a higher CVH score than non-pet owners. [1] This shows that animals are not just loyal creatures, they are imperative for our life. Like human beings, animals too are living creatures that feel every emotion of life, be it anger, happiness, fear or even emotions like anxiety. It is not only incorrect but also unethical on our part to use animals solely for monetary gains and for our visual pleasure such as the use of animals in zoos, circuses, in labs, et cetera.

Animals too, have interests, their own needs and desires, something as basic yet crucial as freedom of movement and avoidance of pain to protection of their family from prey, avoidance of pain and providing shelter and food for them. Conversely, as per the Oxford dictionary, a right refers to something that is allowed by the law or has the moral authority to do something. These rights protect the interests of animals and ensure that no human has the right to harm their interest. Human beings are given rights to protect their dignity, to ensure that they work together and value each other’s rights in a society. This essay talks about whether animals too, should be treated the same and given the same liberty as they have both rights and interests, and why.

In today’s world, although awareness about both animals and animal rights has increased, the rate of animal slaughter has increased drastically. A study shows that in 2023, 85,444,639,663 animals were killed, an increase of around 1.79% from 2022. In 2023, however, the global population increased by only 0.88%. The rate of population growth is much lower than the growth rate of animal butchering and in the year 2024, it was more than 2%.[2] The quote by Phillip Robinson, “The feelings we have about slavery today are the feelings people will have about our treatment of animals used in entertainment — circuses, rodeos, theme parks, etc. — tomorrow.” If we think about this quote now, we can see that it is no longer a future; it has turned into an unfortunate present. A present that is deeply alarming and concerning. If we feel that animals too, have both rights and interests, it becomes morally incorrect to treat them this way. After all, even if they are not human, they are still living creatures who share this environment.

Before we talk about animal rights, we must talk about their interests. As per the Oxford dictionary, an interest is the desire to learn, hear or be involved in something or with somebody. Like us, animals too have interests, like staying alive and safe, and having enough food and shelter always. Even though animals can’t speak like humans, they are still able to express their emotions. Even Pythagoras believed that animals experience the same amount of emotions as humans. [3] Charles Darwin once said, “There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, and happiness and misery.” If one can feel the same emotions as humans, they must have interests too. And we must acknowledge that.

A study reported by Alan Boyle of NBC News showed that dogs trusted and loved their owners after only one instance of care from them. [4]This proves that animals, especially dogs, too seek care, companionship and comfort. Birds tend to make nests and seek shelter. All these show that animals, too, have interests; they do everything to have a fulfilling and happy life. We humans do not have the right to harm animals' interests, like putting them in a cage and taking away their interest in staying free. This clearly violates their basic interests.

Alongside, studies have also shown that animals have logical skills. In a study, chickens were able to make a ‘mental number line’ and even do arithmetic operations. [5] Josh Billings once said, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” We can see that through this incident. A dog’s owner had accidentally slipped in the snow and broken his neck. The dog prevented his owner from slipping into hyperthermia by lying on top of him and licking him continuously to start him from sleeping. [6] In the end, the owner survived to report the incident, all thanks to the dog. All this shows that animals too feel emotions, they don’t merely react.

Daphne Sheldrick once said, “It’s not enough to love animals; we must actively protect and preserve them. It’s our duty and responsibility as custodians of this planet.”

This quote states that we, as the guardians of the earth, must protect both animals and their interests. This does not mean that we have to treat them exactly like humans, but it does learn that we treat them in a way that is ethically correct, and that we do not harm them without any reasons.

Animal rights on the other hand, are legal rights that every animal must be given to protect their interests. These can’t be taken away from animals, just because a human wants them to. In fact, it would be morally incorrect for anyone to harm animals just to fulfill their own interests. This does not mean that animals are given exactly the same rights as humans, such as the right to vote; however, it does mean that animals are given the rights that are essential for them to live peacefully.

The Animal Rights Movement, which started around the Industrial Revolution, talks about the same. Rights such as the rights to life, right to freedom from torture and cruelty, right to adequate food and water, right to shelter and care, right to express natural behavior, right to not be used for entertainment, right to not be used for testing or experimentation and the right to protection from exploitation must be provided to animals. A parrot or dove has interests like being free and not being forced to stay in a cage. Mice, on the other hand, have interests like not being used for research. Thus, these rights must be made to protect their interest.

Many countries have already started to take action on this. In 1998, The United Kingdom became the first country to do so. [7] In 2014, India became the first South Asian Country to ban cosmetic companies from testing on animals. [8] Edwin Way Teale once said, “Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals love them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives love them more.” An example of this was shown in Afghanistan. In 2016, a chimpanzee named Cecilia was recognized as a legal person in the Afghanistan Court and was moved from a zoo to a sanctuary. [9] All these examples show that animals are now being treated as beings which have both emotions and needs.

We must acknowledge the moral value of animals. Rights are needed to protect their interests, especially when their interests are not enough in themselves. These rights are needed to ensure that animals are not used solely for profit; they are considered a part of our society.

Despite a higher level of awareness about animal rights, animal abuse is still prevalent globally. A visible example of this is the use of animals for testing. In 1983, an estimated 17 to 22 million animals were used for research, testing, and education in only the United States[10]. Thankfully, the numbers have decreased for the past few years, but they are still very high. In 2017, 792,168 animals were used in the United States. [11] Globally, almost 100 million animals are used for research and in laboratories every year. [12]

Factory farming, too, is a prevalent issue. Intensive farming causes a lot of harm to an immense number of animals. These areas are highly prone to diseases because all animals tend to be close together; thus, contagious diseases are prevalent. Bird Flu and Swine Flu, for example, have led to global pandemics. [13] Animals are prone to the use of medicines like antibiotics for faster growth and survival in these unsanitary areas.[14] Most animals, especially hens and cows, are genetically manipulated to produce more eggs and milk, respectively. Many times, cows are repeatedly artificially impregnated and then, even separated from their calf in less than the first 24 hours.[15]

All these cases show that animal rights and interests are not given value, even now. When we notice the problems in the current world, we can understand what must be changed for the future world.

In today’s world, with the growing population and thus growth of industries, animal harm is the most relevant issue. Not only is it ethically correct to treat animals in the right way, it also impacts human health and safety.

A notable example is how dairy industries emit high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to climate change and global warming. Not only that, dairy industries often lead to water pollution, soil degradation and even deforestation.[17] If animals do have rights, it would be incorrect to farm and at times, even kill them when similar plant-based alternatives are available.

Thankfully, laws and policies are now changing worldwide. These changes can only take place fully when all citizens understand the animal rights and interests. Not only that, many young activists are now switching to a vegan lifestyle, and are even inspiring others to do the same. This shows that people are now able to understand that treating animals well is a global necessity.

In conclusion, we can say that animals have both rights and interests, and thus the question, ‘Should non-human animals be treated well because they have rights, interests, neither, or both?’ is one that is easy to answer. Many studies have proven that animals too feel all emotions of life, and even many famous philosophers feel that animals must be given equal rights. This helps us understand that animals must be treated fairly and must not be exploited without any cause.’

Given animals rights does not mean that they get the same rights as humans, but it does mean that their interests are protected and they are not made inferior to humans. In the current world, this does not happen; any interests are harmed for human benefits, be it factory farming, research and testing or even abuse for mere entertainment, animals still face cruelty. From a moral point of view, treating animals unfairly, even when they have rights, is totally incorrect.

Not only is the protection of animals beneficial for them, but it is for us. If we give value to both animal rights and interests, then we can be led to a more just and sustainable future, where all are treated equally.

In the end, it is our duty to protect those who cannot speak for themselves. Ultimately, as the guardians of Earth and those who live in it, we must guard animals as they have both rights and interests. We must build a world without inequality and discrimination, in which everyone is given equal rights and values.

Peter Singer said in his book, Animal Liberation, “We have to speak up on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.”

And that is something I truly stand by.

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