TAKE A LOOK INTO THE LAWS REGARDING ANIMALS / {Individual Education}
Have you ever stopped to wonder how it’s even possible for non-human animals to be treated as they are? The simplest answer is because, under the law, animals are considered as “property.” As with all things “law,” it gets wordy and confusing, quick. Depending on your views, it’s either really interesting when you look into it, disheartening, or downright infuriating. Maybe we’ve heard about things like The Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and its numerous amendments. But it doesn’t do much, is hardly enforced, and doesn’t cover the billions of animals in farms. As the Humane Society explains it on their site, “there are no federal animal welfare laws regulating the treatment of the billions of "food animals" while they're on the farm…” Or maybe we’ve heard of “animal cruelty laws,” or even laws that appear to govern “humane slaughter.” They sound good, for sure. But once you look into them, you come to find how limited they are. But they are something, at least. And they can be built upon. The more we know, the more we care, and the more we demand they expand. Below are some links to get your learning started, in case you feel compelled to go down your own rabbit holes (so to speak).
THE ANIMAL LAW PODCAST WITH MARIANN SULLIVAN
HUMANE SOCIETY FARM ANIMAL FAQ
ANIMALS ARE NOT OBJECTS (MANIFESTO)
HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE REGARDING “SENTIENCE”
NEW REPUBLIC ARTICLE ~ RECOGNIZE ANIMALS AS PEOPLE
FROM THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT: “The term ‘animal’ means any live or dead dog, cat, monkey (nonhuman primate mammal), guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or such other warm-blooded animal, as the Secretary may determine is being used, or is intended for use, for research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet; but such term excludes (1) birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research, (2) horses not used for research purposes, and (3) other farm animals, such as, but not limited to livestock or poultry, used or intended for use as food or fiber, or livestock or poultry used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber. With respect to a dog, the term means all dogs including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes (see section 1.1 for definition).