Do animals have rights?

Oh! Digging upa worm and throwing it to a bird is nothing! Sooner or later that worm would have ended up in some bird's digestibe system anyway. What about zoos? What about safari parks? What about circuses? Do we respect any of the animals that have to spend their lives in those circumstances? No we don't! Filming wild-life is at least leaving them in their natural habitat while none of those situations are. Any pets, cats, dogs, fish or budgies, that I have had I have respected. They were treated as one of the family and only when I ws in a situation to give them a happy home did I take them in. I have novpets now because I am away from home for several hours during the day and it would be unfait to leave one all by itself all day long. Before anyone starts finding things wrong with those people who study animals, please let's close down all the other situations such as those that I mention above!

I think every living thing deserves respect and I even thank the plants for being there for me to eat. I don't take more then I need and just say a little prayers of thanks to the plant. the people who worked to get it to my table and to Mother earth for providing for me. Our pets have their own private areas, but we do handle them all over from the time they are babies. This way they don't get upset when we have to pull ticks or stickers out of their coats. They all think this is perfectly normal. We give shots, trim feet and in the case of the Llamas shear their coats once each year. They watch us do this to each other and so don't get upset when it's their turn. We make sure a good treat is given at the end of each treatment.

I already saw this article and was about to start a discussion, glad I looked first! I find this whole issue absolutely ridiculous. Animals privacy? Are you talking about my dogs who like to stick their nose in my butt? lick each others butts anytime anywhere? Or the dog that likes to hump anything including but not limited to blankets, human legs, furniture..... I really do NOT see this as an issue. I am an animal lover, but this is ridiculous. Did I mention that this is just stupid? IN MY OPINION

I both respsect and love animals. But both animals and people have rights only if they are created, and only human beings can create those rights. As human beings we can create rights for anything we want to create rights for. But left in the wild, the only time as animal (or any living creature) has rights is if he esccapes from a preditator - he has then earned the right to carry on living. So I would say that rights are really non-existent as they are a concept. It is a good job that we create the concept of human rights though as it makes the world a much easier place to live, for both humans and animals. _Derek

I try to be very respectful of animals. Animals do have rights, and they deserve our respect. I also feel that it is also our job to protect animals, and to help them when we can, or when they need our help. We should take precautions to protect our environment, and to protect the habitat of animals that share our world. After all, the animals are not responsible for the damage that has been done to our environment. Humans are to blame for destroying our planet, yet animals often suffer for our lack of respect for and careless use of our environment and our natural resources. Pollution can cause damage to the places that animals call home. This damage can be very difficult, or even impossible to repair. Right now, as I write this, I am sitting on my couch with my laptop. My three Chihuahuas are lying on the couch napping around me. I have one next to each leg, and one is lying on the back of the couch behind my head on my shoulders. I love them dearly, and I do all I can to give them the best life I can give them. I am pretty sure they live better than a lot of people do, and I am thankful that I can give them such a life. Our pets enrich our lives, and they deserve the best lives they can give them. Wild animals also deserve our respect, and they also deserve the best lives we can give them as well. Most of the time, the way to do this is to just leave them alone, and let nature do what it has been doing since our Earth was created. However, it is sometimes necessary for us to get involved and help them when things go bad for them, ESPECIALLY if the negative circumstances are a result of something we caused. I have seen pictures of people rescuing and helping animals after natural and man-made disasters. Right now, the pictures of people helping birds and other animals after the Exxon-Valdez oil spill disaster in 1989, because I live in Pensacola, Florida, and we are likely going to see some negative environmental effects from the oil rig that blew up in the Gulf of Mexico several days ago. From what I hear, some parts of the Gulf Coast are already starting to have oil washing up on their shores. I am hoping against hope that the environmental impact of this disaster can be contained to levels that are at least manageable, although the amount of oil that has already been spewed into the water makes the amount spilled in the Exxon-Valdez disaster seem small. The oil is still spewing, which is only going to make this situation worse. I know that animals who call the Gulf Coast seashores home are going to be negatively affected by this disaster. I just hope these animals are not forgotten and left to die. I want to go help where I can if/when this oil reaches the shores here in Pensacola. There are people already volunteering to help when the time comes. I think I am going to put my name on the list...

animal privacy? I think that's a bit of a stretch into animal rights. Animals don't care about privacy. They take poops for everyone and everything to see. Dogs hump each other out in the street. If animals wanted privacy they would go hide somewhere. Its nice to be kind to animals, but you can definitely take it too far into the crazy zone.

this just seems silly to me. Animals should be filmed without disturbing them as much as possible so we can see their natural behaviour. Animals aren't people. Yes, their habitats should be protected but, if they are not filmed, how will people learn about them and how to prevent them becoming extinct. I always apologise to any worms etc., that I dig up. Birds have to eat and there are plenty of worms about.

Well it is True that animals should have more rights just like people do as when is appropriate for filming them, and why some animals should be left alone. When you are constantly trying to film or capture animals to be able to learn about them more and take pictures, etc. it is sad. I could understand maybe taking a quick picture or two, but studying them constantly and possibly disrupting their life? Would you want someone constantly bugging you?

Hi Owling I saw this on the News lol and as funny as it seems I agree that all Animals are entitled to their Privacy I mean like when Gissi does his Business I do not stand over him with the Pooper Bag I stand back wit till he is done then clean it up They have every right to their Privacy as much as us Humans do

I think there's a huge difference between digging up a worm and then throwing it to a bird to be either and filming animals in the wild. Granted, the animal being filmed might not consent, if it had the ability to understand and decline the honor, but how is filming them doing any harm? I'd say that by using films to teach people about animals and to respect them, assuming the crew is careful to tread lightly on their environment, that more good is being done than harm.

I guess they have depending on the human how they treated their pets. It also matters in what country they were and how is the law protected the animals rights. Herein my place I guess they are not so cared of it . If they want to throw away stone to the dog barking at them then they will throw a stone to stop it barking. Sometimes the owner of the pet get mad at the man. But in the forest which are watched by some men in uniform those endangered species so it is cared of. I guess you could not get a picture of it if you will not ask permission to the authority. My pet dog at home when it was like to go out and pee ; dispose its waste I let it go . After that it knocks at the door and enter again in the house.

Hi owlwings, this is the third time I have to this discussion, and I hope this time my post stays. :) I dont think animals understand privacy as we do. I have seen dogs, birds, lizards, and a few other animals indulge in s**. So they have different norms than we do. We each have our countries, and our rights differ from yours. So I think that might be the case with species as well. I wouldnt be so perturbed about privacy unless the birds, worms, animals, asked me for it. As of now, they dont really do that, do they? So what they dont know, cant really hurt them. But yes, I would feel bad if the bird ate the worm. I would think had I not pulled it out, it would have survived another day.

I firmly believe that even animals have rights equal to that of humans. They need to get a proper treatment as us. They also have a soul as we have. If you hurt any human being.. then it is a crime. Then how can hurting an animal who cannot even tell us the pain it feels be a proper act!

In general,I abhor cruelty to wild life,but I need to make an exception of those that do harm to us,such as Locusts, flies, mosquitoes,etc.recently,there are more and more Wild boars over here.They ruin crops even attack people .For this type of animal,I stand for killing them.

First, we must ask what 'rights' means in this context. The term 'rights' is used in a number of ways; there are legal rights and so called natural rights. Certainly animals don't have legal rights except those we choose to afford them. Natural or ethical rights are really no more than a linguistic short cut, if I say I have the right to life, I mean no more than, it is wrong or evil for someone to kill me. Thus we can quickly see that ethical rights depend on concepts of good and evil. That is, concepts of good and evil are more fundamental that the concept of rights. What does such linguistic brevity matter? Well, the problem arises that any right's based system of ethics soon crashes. Your rights suppress mine, etc. People with more time than sense worry about invading animals privacy, whilst killing animals, or indirectly employing people to kill them for them, for food. Animals, not having language; grunts, squeaks, squawks, etc, communicate but are not language, have at best a very limited conceptual ability those concepts like privacy are meaningless to them. Now we have cleared away confusion, we can attempt to rephrase and answer to this question. A rephrase you hint at in your last sentence Should you treat animals with respect and the answer to this is yes, since all living things are worthy of respect and life is sacred. Does such respect include respecting their privacy? No, since privacy is meaningless to them. all the best urban

No, I don't think I ever did or know anyone who does. You don't think of animals in that way. Like I don't like to go to the zoo because I don't like to see them caged and sometimes single. I find that very sad. So I guess I see that side of it but not the privacy issue.

I think it's not the "desire for privacy" that drives them to hide or defend themselves. I doubt if they even have that. I think it is but that natural instinct to protect themselves from anything that might prey on them. The instinctive "fight or flight response". Animals, they say, also seem to have a sixth sense and will seem to know if they are being watched. And that again, triggers that innate sense of self-preservation. As to the rights, it is us humans who came up with those rights. But that is not for the animals to exercise those rights, but for humans to protect those rights, since we were given the mission to be stewards of God's creation.

I like to think I respect all the animal life around me (except maybe the roaches). Though I can't say that I've shown respect at all times. My cats let me know when they don't want to be left alone, and I back off. But, the roaches usually get stomped on when they come out, or dug out of their nests to get baithed in repelent once a month.

ya u are right it is so good to have a lot of different and we need to grow with the pets and it is good to love it and we have to give the animals its own place i think we are going to its home and it is really very bad to kill it and there are many wonders in the world that man have not seen and i think we have to go in the correct way and we have to protect it..do something different and have a lot of fun..