Animal rights

Throughout current history, different points of view regarding the scope of animal rights have emerged that have reflected philosophical and legal developments , different scientific conceptions regarding animal and human nature , and religious and ethical conceptions of the correct relationship that must exist between animals and human beings.  The correct way in which animals should be treated is a very old question worldwide.

What does it consist on

In recent years, some human values ​​and their corresponding legal recognition have been projected to the world of animals and therefore talk about animal rights, whose fundamental idea consists of explicitly recognizing that animals deserve respect ,  care and protection . Animal rights consist of a series of norms and rules that try to end any act of exploitation that is carried out against animals and in the fight for animals to be recognized as deserving of a dignified life .

Characteristics of animal rights

The main characteristics of animal rights are the following:

• On December 10, 1997, the International Animal Rights Day began to be celebrated.
• Respect for animals is considered to be closely linked to respect for men.
• The goal of animal rights is to protect each animal species regardless of whether it is domestic or wild.
• It is a union between positive law and jurisprudence in which the object of law is nature, be it legal, social or biological that animals have.

Background

Ancient philosophers debated the place of animals in human morality . The Pythagoreans during the 6th-4th centuries BC and the Neoplatonists motivated their inhabitants to respect the interests of animals, because they believed in the transmigration of souls between human and animal bodies. In his biological writings, Aristotle , through his statement in Politics that nature made animals for the good of humans, was destined to become his most influential statement on the subject.

Aristotle and the Stoics , believed that the world was populated by an infinity of beings arranged hierarchically according to their complexity and perfection , the rational and the spiritual. In this Great Chain of Being, all forms of life mattered . Humans, due to their rationality, occupied the highest position and it was a way of conceiving the universe, dominating scientific, philosophical and religious thought until the middle of the 19th century.

History

The protection of animals at the beginning was religious and later scientific-philosophical . The first protector of animals Zaratrustra , was a prophet and founder of Mazdeism , and considered that animals had a soul with which they understood and suffered the same as human beings and that they had the same value for which he fought to prohibit their sacrifices .

The Buddhist philosophical and religious doctrine taught the ahimsa that involved the non-use of violence and the attachment to all forms of life including animals, even hospitals were built for the healing of animals and the death of a dog or cow by the hand of a person was considered a crime serious .

In the Modern Age, the first law in defense of animals appears. It was drafted in Ireland in 1635 and it is banned fisurar wool cattle sheep and plows tie tails horses. In 1641 the American colony of Massachusetts Bay drafted protective laws for domestic animals. In the United Kingdom animal protection laws abounded and Oliver Cromwell during his government banned cock, dog or bull fighting.

In the 19th century animal welfare associations were born , in 1847 The Vegetarian Society Portmouth was created. La Liga Humanitarian Henry Salt one social reform schools and prisons, vegetarian and against hunting. In 1867 the evangelical theologian Eduard Baltzer created the  German society for a natural life. In 1892 in Germany the German Vegetarian Union was established and in 1901 in Paris the homonymous French association .

What are the rights of animals

In Mexico

Currently most states have an Animal Protection Act, which protects the life of domestic and / or wild animals. Some of them are:

• Baja California : whoever carries out an act of animal abuse will be imposed from three months to two years in prison and a fine of fifty to one hundred days of the minimum wage in force in the state.
• Coahuila : crimes against the life, integrity and dignity of animals are punished and is punished with a penalty of six to four years in prison and a fine from 6 thousand 377 pesos to 31 thousand 885. The law punishes unjustified mistreatment of any kind animal that does not constitute a pest. If cruelty to an animal puts your life in danger, the penalty could be increased by 50 percent.
• Federal District : circuses are prohibited from working with animals and are punished with 300 days of minimum wage. It also prohibits animals from being used in protests , marches , sit- ins and television contests .

In Spain

In Spain , animal rights include aspects such as:

• Anyone who mistreats unjustifiably and causes injury to a domestic animal , an animal that is generally domestic, an animal that is under human control, is punished with a penalty of three months to one day, and even one year in prison. or to an animal that does not live in the wild.
• Causing the death of an animal is condemned as aggravated abuse and the penalty can be up to 18 months.
• They are also considered abuse the risks to health that are caused by omission , lack of attention and care .

In colombia

Animals must live in a hygienic, ventilated place where they can move freely.

• They must have food , drink , medicines and medical attention that ensures good physical and emotional health .
• If the weather requires it, the necessary shelter should be provided as well as a warm place to be.
• An animal may not be harmed with blows , burns or pricks or any type of mistreatment.
• An animal cannot be killed for futile motives .
• An animal cannot be killed by prolonging its death or its agony .
• Dog fighting is prohibited .

What are animal rights for?

Animal rights basically serve to protect species other than human beings, which cannot defend themselves.

Arguments in favor

The philosophy of animal rights is rational because animals should not be treated arbitrarily. Human beings should not be treated in an inferior way just because they cannot defend their rights . In addition, many scientists claim that there are no important differences between humans and animals with respect to their mental faculties , and that human life should be full of empathy and sympathy regardless of whether the victims are human beings or animals.

Counterarguments

Some think that animals should not have rights since if this were the case, they should also be given duties , also because animals do not have the ability to argue them . They would also have to have responsibilities and obligations and that for this reason, the judicial system could not be symmetrical, because human beings would be obliged and animals would not. Some others also argue that animals are an essential part of our diet and our nutrients, so if animal rights were recognized for all of them, we would be left without one of the most important sources.important protein.

Animal rights day

Since 1997, it is celebrated on December 10 , as the international day of animal rights which is celebrated in many cities of the world to vindicate those of animals, and make humanity reflect on the respect that animals deserve.

Importance

Animal rights are important because they give us the ability to choose a more compassionate , considerate and respectful way with respect to those beings that are an important part of our environment. It gives us the possibility to avoid mistreatment and certain activities that cause serious damage to many of the species that we ourselves have taken from their habitats to domesticate , and that are often mistreated.

Examples

Some examples of animal law are:

• Every animal has the right to respect .
• All animals have the right to the attention , care and protection of man.
• No animal will be subjected to mistreatment or cruel acts .
• If the death of an animal is necessary, it must be instantaneous , painless and not generating anguish .
• All working animals have the right to a reasonable limitation of the time and intensity of work, a restorative diet and rest.