Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare

Animal rights versus animal welfare
By: Lorie Huston
June 15, 10:51 PM

Are you an animal rights activist? An animal welfare supporter? Do you know the difference? Many people do not realize there are fundamental differences between the animal rights movement and the animal welfare movement. However, these differences are rudimentary and set the animal rights movement far apart from the animal welfare movement.

Animal rights definition

Supporters of the animal rights movement believe that animals of all types have rights equal to those of humans. The group known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the foremost animal rights group and is well-known in animal rights circles.

Animal rights activists, including PETA, reject the use of animals for any purpose, whether or not the animals are treated humanely. Animal rights activists do not believe that animals of any type should be used in research, sporting events or entertainment venues. Animal rights advocates do not believe that animals should be used as work animals to aid people in completing necessary tasks and believe that breeding and exhibiting animals in zoos and conservation parks is a form of animal exploitation.

Animal welfare defined

Animal welfare advocates, unlike animal rights supporters, believe that animals have the right to be handled humanely and to live a life free of pain. However, animal welfare advocates do not believe that animals should have rights equal to those of people. Animal welfare advocates support the use of animals to satisfy human needs but require that animals used to serve humans are kept in such a way that their basic needs for food, shelter and health are met.

The American Veterinary Medical Association Policy on Animal Welfare and Animal Rights describes animal welfare as "a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia." Read More

There is a huge difference between animal rights and animal welfare. People that raise livestock are definitely advocates of animal welfare. Their livelihood depends on the welfare of their animals. In order for livestock to be productive, they must have all of their needs met, including nutritious feed, clean water and shelter. Animal rights on the other hand is what groups like HSUS and PETA push for. In order for these groups to accomplish their goal of giving rights to animals, they must push family farmers off their land and kill off most of our domestic livestock. But even more than this, both of these groups care about money. They continue to create crisis after crisis and trick people into sending them money.