(Again, not sure if this is the right area for this, move if need be )

So, I hear people throw around the term "animal rights" a lot, like it's the most important thing in the world. The problem with this, is they don't seem to understand exactly what animal rights would be. While I love animals, and think every animal deserves a loving home, with proper feed and care, I am very strongly against animal rights. That might seem a bit topsy turvy to you, but let me explain.

Animal rights, to me, is exactly that. Giving your animal rights. The right to remain intact and to breed continuously. The right to roam at large, no matter what your living situation. The right to grow obese, the right to do as they please, the right to make their own choices. Now, I can understand that you might be shaking your head at me and saying "no, that's not what animal rights are..." But truly, it is. Rights are something that we, as the dominant species, have earned. We have the right to make our own choice, because we have highly developed minds, and can choose right from wrong. But if you gave an animal rights, what would happen? Well, no animal would choose to get desexed. No animal would choose to walk on a leash, or to be accompanied by a human whenever they went out. No animal would choose to live in a cage, even if it were the safest place. An animal would not choose to be eaten, but they would choose to reproduce with each and every single heat cycle. They would choose to fight over territory and mating rights. They would choose to eat and eat until they became too obese to move. They would choose to linger long after a reasonable person would choose death for them.

In my eyes, animals have their own set of rights, which I highly advocate. It's called animal welfare, and it involves their right to a clean, safe, loving home. Animals do have the right to be fed properly, and enough to keep them fit. They have the right to ear scratches, cuddles, kisses. A right to proper vet care when needed, an annual wellness exam to make sure everything is ok, and desexing if they have no use as a breeding animal. Proper training, and a proper home, even if it involves rehoming because the animal isn't suitable for where it is. To me, these things are reasonable, and an animal has a right to them... but it's not giving the animal the right to make their own choices.

Some people use the terms "animal rights" and "animal welfare" interchangeably, and I admit that I used to do that as well, before someone introduced me to the vast difference in ideology about them. I have been called an Animal Welfare Nut before, and I relish that title, because it's true. I am an advocate for animals, as they do not have their own voice, and they do not need their own voice. Giving an animal rights is giving it nothing more than the right to death, because left to their own devices, domestic animals are self destructive, and would easily get themselves killed.

So, next time you think about calling someone an "animal welfare nut" or an "animal rights nut", remember, someone who believes in animal welfare believes in realistic proper treatment of animals that we have domesticated for their own use. An animal rights nut believes that animals are equal to humans and thus deserve to make their own choices.

Bad Habit-- Most of us are Animal Welfare people-- we do understand all too well the differences between 'rights' and 'welfare.' Clouding of the terminology 'ARA' comes into play when the last letter is defined as 'Advocate' instead of 'Activist'One can advocate for 'rights' but that person is advocating for us 'welfare' people to not have animals. One of the reasons this forum works is because in order to fit well, even the pet only peole must accept the fact that some of us EAT our rabbits. They accept we will not spend (normally) 300 dollars at a vet for an animal we paid 10 dollars for. They accept that our 'herds' are LIVESTOCK and not PETS--we all love our animals, we would not have them otherwise-- but ARAs are trying very hard to eradicate our CIVIL RIGHTS-- including the right to own an animal and raise our own food. Thereare a several threads in Random Rabbit ramblings that are focused on the violation of the Civil Rights of some breeders-- Yo may be interested in them, and helping where you can- even if it means looking up your own representative and congressman's voting records--

I figured people here would know the difference, however I initially wrote the post for another website. Knowing that site, the post will be reported and deleted quickly, and I didnt want to think all my typing were for nothing, so copied it over to here. I will have to look up the posts you mentioned and have a read.

I agree Terry. I have noticed this forum allows people to live the way they want without having to defend their decisions or fear persecution, and I love that. That's a great freedom, A Right. Pet it, eat it, or both. I'm good with whatever y'all do at YOUR home. Who am I to say you can't have a pet and be an animal welfare "nut"?

Hey, Guess what's for dinner tonight...

Not beef....

My FFA advisor was quick to clear up the differences between animal rightists and animal welfarists. We lost a couple of kids after that, but oh well. If that's how they were...

Easy
animal welfare = treat animals in a humane (different from human) manner (for the most part but is also used to cover the crazy ARA's)

Animal rights = animals are people too

I wish I felt comfortable using the "animal welfare" term, but look at www.animalwelfare.com <-- an AR site.

So we have to come up with something better...

uhm.... Rational Animal Caregiver?

I wouldn't call this an AR site. While I may not agree with all it says, I think it earns the term animal welfare. They advocate for humane treatment of farm animals, not an end to raising livestock. They have strong environmental views... and about time we started to pay attention to habitat loss and extinction of species! They want animals to be well-cared-for in the home... They are not out to ban companion animals.

This organization has been around since 1951... almost as long as I have! A lot longer than the current fanaticism of the AR movement.