Animal Rights (Essay Sample)

Animal Rights Author name Institutional affiliation Course number and name Instructor name Assignment due date Animal Rights Globally, the contest for animal rights lingers – for freedom, justice, and equality. For decades, animals have endured abuse, exploitation, and deliberate harm because humans perceive them as inferior or different. Statistics show that at least one animal is mistreated, abused, or killed every 60 seconds worldwide (Janssens, 2022). In the United States, approximately 10 million animals die from cruelty or abuse annually (Beirne & Lynch, 2023). Despite their physical and behavioral differences to humans, animals are sentient beings; hence, should be respected, recognized, and treated fairly. In any case, animals are a part of the natural world, meaning that they are entitled to a life free from human use, exploitation, and abuse. Animals should have rights because they deserve to live free from exploitation, suffering, and human abuse. Furthermore, animal should have rights because they are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive beings. Aristotle recognized that humans had a "rational soul" in addition to animals' "sensitive soul" (Zhang, 2023). In Aristotle's mind, humans must respect animals because they are sensitive and emotional. The continued exploitation and mistreatment of animals indicate that most humans perceive them as inferior or undeserving to live freely. Nonetheless, animals are a part of nature and must be treated fairly, even if they lack the mental capacity to compete with humans. Notably, individuals assign and recognize animal rights based on their upbringing and society settings. People who grow up in societies where animals are harassed and mistreated are less likely to support animal rights movements. New programs and efforts are needed to educate people on the importance of championing for animal rights. More importantly, governments should issue new regulati...