A Look At The Differences Between Animal Rights And Animal Welfare
Philosophers like Tom Regan and Peter Singer (though Singer is technically a "preference utilitarian"), and groups like PETA and Animal Equality. A Look At The Differences Between Animal Rights
The core thesis of animal rights is . A rat has an interest in not feeling pain. A chimpanzee has an interest in living in a social group. A human has an interest in not being killed. According to rights theory, the fact that the rat is less intelligent than the human is irrelevant to the moral question of causing suffering. You wouldn't kill a human infant with cognitive disabilities for food; therefore, you cannot kill a pig (who is smarter than that infant) for food. A chimpanzee has an interest in living in a social group
Issues like "puppy mills" and the abandonment of pets continue to strain the resources of shelters and rescues. You wouldn't kill a human infant with cognitive
Strengthening existing anti-cruelty laws and increasing penalties to deter offenders.