Rights not welfare: Celebrating International Animal Rights Day

Animal rights is a philosophy and way of living that believes all animals are inherently valuable regardless of how useful they are to humans. It tells us that animals’ most basic interests – such as avoiding suffering and death – should be given the same consideration as that of humans.   

This philosophy argues that animals should not be used for any reason because to do so is to ignore their fundamental right to life, liberty and freedom from harm. Importantly, this right should not be overridden by claims of necessity or ‘good’ welfare and should be respected regardless of how cute, intelligent, rare, interesting or friendly an animal is. 

Aren’t rights and welfare the same thing?

No.

Animal welfare broadly refers to the feelings and physical wellbeing of an individual animal. Measuring these can indicate how well that individual is coping with their environment. On farms, for example, a sow who is confined to a farrowing crate may have poorer welfare than a sow who is able to nurse her babies and stretch her legs. However, regardless of good or bad welfare, both individuals have been reduced to the status of a product or resource – which is where animal rights come in. 

Animal rights argue that the problem with animal exploitation is not how we use animals, but that we use them at all. It acknowledges that the sow in our example above, even if not confined to a farrowing crate or harmed in other ways, has been stripped of her value as an individual. This value exists regardless of how ‘useful’ or ‘profitable’ she is to humans – it also exists regardless of how cute, friendly, intelligent or interesting an animal is!

Animal Aid’s vision of animal rights

Our vision is a world where animals are no longer harmed or exploited for human benefit. All animals, regardless of their species or relationship to humans, would benefit from the fundamental right to freedom, and this right would be recognised by the public and protected in law.

We believe this world is possible and that it would be a better world for us all – because a kinder, fairer society that no longer marginalises vulnerable groups, that is grounded in compassion and respect, is a good thing for us too and for generations to come.

Animal rights in action

In practice, improving animal welfare may look like giving animals more space, better food or “nicer” deaths but animal rights seek a future where no animal is harmed or exploited in the first place. Sometimes this is straightforward, such as our campaigns to ban snares or the racing of greyhounds, but for farmed animals, total liberation can only be achieved by switching to a vegan diet.

Here are some other ways you can put animal rights into practice, everyday:

• Buying cruelty-free alternatives to your favourite beauty and household products
• Boycotting entertainment venues that exploit live animals like zoos, aquariums, safari parks and live animal displays
• Never wearing or buying real fur, leather or wool
• Adopting animal companions instead of breeding or buying them
• Never attended or betting on the racing of greyhounds and horses
• Distributing our free campaign materials to friends and family and in your local area

All individuals featured on this page were photographed in the safety of a sanctuary, by the incredible We Animals team.