It is often said that the end justifies the means. And many people may be thinking this when they turn a blind eye to the methods used by animal rights activists. “After all” the argument goes, “they are standing up for animals that don’t have a voice. If their methods are a little extreme then sobeit. Society needs to be told!”
What is the difference between animal welfare and animal rights?
There is a broad scientific consensus as to what constitutes good animal welfare. It is based on four welfare principles: Good Housing, Good Feeding, Good Health and Appropriate Behaviour. From these principles come over 20 specific and objective measurements of the welfare of the animal.
Animal rights has the core presumption that animals have rights similar to those conferred upon people. That is, that animals are completely independent of us and that we have no moral right to use them in any way.
Consequently many animal rights organisations, like PETA, care less about animal welfare and much more about chasing a vegan agenda. They campaign to abolish all form of animal use and products, including meat and fish, leather, silk and wool, milk and cheese, along with horse riding, working dogs (including guide dogs) and, in some instances, pets.
Real face of animal rights
Most of us would agree that we have the right to make our own choices in these matters and to have our views respected by others. No one, for instance would dream of forcing someone who is vegan to eat meat. But vegan activism, which aims to deny personal choice, seems to be growing. The recent case of a vegan restaurant that banned parents from bottle-feeding their babies with animal milk on the premises made news.
If animal welfare is the best that it can be, should it not be an individual’s right to decide whether to eat meat, wear leather, silk, wool or fur, go fishing, ride horses – or not?
A new website shines a torch on some of the more extreme views and actions of animal rights organisations and individuals. realfacesofanimalrights.com
PETA Slays 1,411 Dogs and Cats in 2016
The latest new figures from the Center for Consumer Freedom revealed that last year 1,411 cats and dogs died in Virginia at the hands of PETA activists that claimed to be collecting money for animal welfare.
PETA raise millions of dollars in charitable donations by promising to find new homes for pets that their owners could no longer look after. But while many well-meaning donors left legacies and donations, believing that their life-long savings would be used directly to fund animal welfare, PETA shamelessly killed nearly 3 out of 4 dogs and cats that came to their centre. To put this into context, this is almost four times more than other animal shelters in Virginia.
While people expected their hard-earned cash to be put to a good use, PETA on average kill 1,895 animals per year. Since 1998, thirty six thousand animals became victims of PETA’s slaughterhouse.
Opaque? Hypocritical? Deceitful? You decide………