Animal Rights in the UK and the USA

8/9/2019 Animal Rights in the UK and the USA

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The question is not, Can they reason?nor, Can they talk?

but rather, Can they suffer?

(Jeremy Bentham)


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Animal rightsis the idea that some or all nonhuman animals are entitled

to the possession of their own lives, and that their most basic interests

such as an interest in not suffering should be afforded the same

consideration as the similar interests of human beings.

Advocates approach the issue from a variety of perspectives:

-the abolitionists;-the protectionists;

-the animal walfare position


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In the U, !he "oyal #ociety for the $revention of %ruelty to Animals &"#$%A'

was founded in 182.!he first national law to regulate animal e(perimentation was passed in )ritain

in 18!"- the %ruelty to Animals Act.In 188#, !he "oyal #ociety for the protection of birds was founded by *mily

+illiamson in her own home in idsbury, anchester. !here had previously been

some concern about the destruction of native birds such as great crested grebes

and ittiwaes which lead to legislation called the #ea )irds $reservation Actof 18"#and the +ild )irds $rotection Act of 188$.

In 18#%/enry #alt formed the /umanitarian league, the aims of which were

to promote the principle that it was immoral to inflict suffering on any sentient

creature.


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In 1#$$, the +ild Animals in %aptivity $rotection Act 0122 was passed by

the $arliament, and as the name suggests it was an Act for the $revention of

%ruelty to Animals in %aptivity.

1#1"& #tephen %oleridge a U author, barrister, opponent of vivisection andco-founder of the 3ational #ociety for the $revention of %ruelty to %hildren wrote

Vivisection: A heartless science

In 1#!', !he Animal liberation front was formed.

The knowledge that horrible mutilations may

be daily and hourly executed upon the bodies

of living creatures with no adequate security for

their insensibility, makes very many humane

people profoundly miserable it rises dayand night between them and their peace of mind

it haunts their lives waking and asleep

it deprives them of !oy in this world which might

otherwise be theirs"#

&45ivisection: A /eartless #cience6'


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in 1#8$, /enry #pira became the most prominent of the new animal activists

and did much to stop animal testing for cosmetics industry and is widely regarded

as one of the most effective animal rights activists of the twentieth century.

/is greatest achievement came in 01>2 when he convinced the cosmetics

company "evlon to stop the use of a painful tests for to(icity, the rai=e test,which involved ingredients being dripped into the eyes of rabbits.

/e too out full-page advertising in a number of newspapers, including the

3ew 9or !imes.

!he advertisement showed a rabbit with sticing plaster over his eyes with

the caption: 8/ow many rabbits does "evlon blind for beauty


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oern ay organisations

*on*erne +ith animal rights

issues

@Animal Aid@5egetarians< International 5oice for

Animals@!he 5egan #ociety

@$eople for the *thical !reatment of

Animals

@!he eague of %ruel #ports@Uncaged

@arm #anctuary


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eading og "escue !he ogs !rust have released a report on the number

of stray dogs in the U from April 202 until arch 20; it was found that there

were 0B,0CB stray dogs in this period, which is a 7D increase on the

year before.

rom April 22> #tray ogs are no longer the responsibility of the $olice."esponsibility for stray dogs now rests solely with ocal Authorities.Under the *nvironmental $rotection Act of 0112, an officer appointed by

the ocal Authority &e.g. the dog warden' is reEuired to deal with stray dogs,

the officer may sei=e and detain any dog which is believed to be a stray &if the

dog is on private property, consent from the land owner needs to be obtained'.

Fnce a sei=ed dog has been detained for seven clear days, after sei=ure ordelivery of notice on the owner and the owner has not claimed the dog and

paid the fees due, the officer may dispose of the dog.3o dogs sei=ed under this Act are to be given or sold for vivisection.!he dog warden must eep a register of dogs sei=ed. !he register is available

for public inspection, free of charge at a reasonable time.

ogs must also be properly fed and maintained whilst detained.


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Appro(imately G million to C million companion animals enter animal shelters

nationwide every year, and appro(imately H million to 7 million are euthani=ed

&B2 percent of dogs and C2 percent of cats'.According to the 3ational %ouncil on $et $opulation #tudy and $olicy,

less than percent of cats and only 0G to 2 percent of dogs are returned

to their owners.G percent of dogs who enter local shelters are purebred.ore than 2 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted

them from a shelter.any strays are lost pets who were not ept properly indoors or provided

with identification.


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T- ./

@Any new drug must be tested on at leasttwo different species of live mammal, one

of which must be a large non-rodent.@!esting on animals now reEuires three/ome Fffice licences - for the institution,

the scientist and the proect.

!hey must outline the potential benefits and

prove there is no alternative.

Basi* 0a*ts

@.CH million e(periments in the 0

months of 202@!otal number of procedures rose by

7.D on 200@About >2D are for research and drug

development

@#afety testing accounts for most ofthe rest

hi*h animals are use?

"odents >7D

ish, amphibians, reptiles 0D

arge mammals .0D

#mall mammals 0.7D

ogs and cats 2.HD

$rimates 2.0D


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T- .A

@Animal testing occurs freEuently in theUnited #tates, where millions of animals are

used each year for e(perimentation. #imilarto the United ingdom &U', regulations in

the United #tates focus on monitoring and

regulating the use of vertebrates rather than

invertebrates.@A large part of the regulation process is

governed by the Animal +elfare Act.

@!he goals are to ensure that animals usedfor research receive a high standard of care

and are treated humanely and with respect.

@#uffering should be minimised but the

stance is that it should not be minimised

at the e(pense of the research goals

and aims.

!hus, this means that animal

suffering is seen as secondary to

the goals of research and is only minimised

if it does not interfere with the successof the e(periment.

@!he United #tates is competitive in termsof scientific advancement, which means that

research into drugs and medical nowledge

will continue to rise.

@Animal testing can occur in a range of

locations, which often relates to the focus

of those performing the research and theintended audience.


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Basi* 0a*ts

@rom 0117 to 22G, H0 circus elephants died frominhumane conditions.

@!igers naturally fear fire, but they are still

forced to ump through fire hoops in some circuses.@#ince 0112, there have been 0 deaths that relate

to circus elephants. !here are over 0B inuries

worldwide.@ess than 022 U.#. epartment of Agriculture

inspectors are assigned to monitor the 0,222

circus-related facilities in America.@%ircus animals spend an average of B hours in

cages, during transport.@In the wild, elephants wal about G miles a day.

In a circus, they spend the 1BD of their lives incages.


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Animals are transported up to G2 wees a year in stifling, cramped, and dirty

trailers and train cars and are forced to perform confusing and physically

challenging trics, such as standing on their heads, riding bicycles, or umping

through rings of fire.!he harsh treatment of animals in circuses has spawned protests by

humane societies and animal rights groups, which have focused on abusive

training and handling practices, the constant confinement endured by the

animals, and the dangers that animal circuses pose to the public.

!raining methods for animals used in circuses involve varying degrees of

punishment and deprivation. In the United #tates, no government agency

monitors animal training sessions.Animals used in circuses may travel thousands of miles a year during

e(treme weather conditions. !hey are confined to bo(cars and trailers and

have no access to basic necessities, such as food, water, and veterinary care.#ome elephants spend most of their lives in shacles.ore than a do=en municipalities in the United #tates have banned perfor-

mances that feature wild animals. $*!A has been campaigning in the U.#. for

specific bans on the most abusive circus practices, including chaining

elephants and using training tools that cause pain and suffering.

!he trend in circus entertainment has been shifting away from the use of

animals, as evidenced by the hugely successful %irEue du #oleil.

!he fate of


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@!he wildlife in the U.. is protected under several pieces of legislation. uch of the

protection in *ngland is based on the legally binding *U directives which implementinternational conventions.

@Fne of the most important directives is the %ouncil irective 1J7HJ**% of 0 ay

011 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

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)ottlenose dolphin*uropean /are

/a=el ormouse

*uropean Ftter

AEuatic +arbler

Krass snae

#mooth snae


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In the U#A, The -nangere 9e*ies A*t was passed in 01CH and is the main

protection for animals.

#pecies that receive protection under the *#A are classified into two categories,

8*ndangered8 or 8!hreatened,8 depending on their status &how many are left in the

wild' and how severely their survival is threatened.!he U# ish and +ildlife #ervice, a bureau of the epartment of the Interior, is

responsible for listing, delisting, and reclassifying the species protected by the *#A.

!he *ndangered #pecies Act outlines a number of protective measures that are

designed to preserve species that have been listed as *ndangered or !hreatened.

!hese measures include restrictions on hunting, transporting and trading &buyingand selling' the species.

-34A35-6-4 7-C- 3 T- .A

American )ison)rown bear

%ougar

Laguar

"attlesnae


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ondea %hristiana

#tancu !eodor

Abrudan laviu %iprian

ndyear aw

Animal Rights in the UK and the USA

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