The single greatest legal barrier to both welfare and rights is the status of animals as or chattel . Under virtually every legal system, animals are things you own, like a chair or a smartphone.
: Focuses on the physical and emotional well-being of animals while they are under human care. It accepts that humans may use animals for food, research, or companionship, provided that suffering is minimized and high standards of care are maintained. The single greatest legal barrier to both welfare
The abstract ethics debate exists against the backdrop of an unprecedented reality: . In 1900, most farm animals lived on pasture. Today, over 99% of farmed animals in the US live on factory farms (Confined Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs). It accepts that humans may use animals for
It is moving toward "Relational Rights" and "Constitutional Standing." The NhPR is shifting tactics from claiming chimps have human rights to claiming they have chimpanzee rights (the right to live in a forest, not a cage). Furthermore, the emerging field of "Wild Animal Suffering" (WAS) is asking radical rights questions: If we have a duty to intervene in nature to prevent parasites, starvation, and predation, are we obligated to do so? Today, over 99% of farmed animals in the