Two primary issues must be examined when discussing the morality of fishkeeping. The first is whether keeping fish is harmful to the environment. The second question is whether the fish themselves are deprived of happiness. With regards to the first question, a distinction must be made between fish bred in captivity and fish collected from […]
Animal Welfare
For lovers of animals, animal welfare is an important issue. Cruelty and negligence toward animals is the norm rather than the exception. Animals are mistreated on farms, in the wild, in laboratories and in industries which profit from animal abuse.
Most countries recognize that animals have the right to “Five Freedoms” which were first proposed in the United Kingdom in the 1960s:
- Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
- Freedom from Discomfort
- Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
- Freedom to Express Normal Behavior
- Freedom from Fear and Distress
Promotion of animal welfare can be on many levels. First, there is the legislative level. Laws already exist which prevent certain types of animal cruelty but there is still much to be done. Public campaigns are also important, to convince the public to treat animals humanely and not support those who don’t. On the individual level, volunteering at an animal shelter or animal welfare organization can do a world of good. Getting involved in conservation is also a positive action.
Animal Welfare ArticlesMore
Activists
- When euthanasia goes wrong
- Famous Animal Rights Activists
- Nathan J. Winograd
- Help Animals – Support These Sites
Wildlife Welfare
- HSUS Report on Orca Shows
- The Exotic Pet Industry and Animal Welfare
- Why Do People Keep Wild Animals as Pets?
- Ohio Prohibits Wild Animals as Pets
General Animal Welfare Articles
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Dog Breeding
When dogs were first domesticated in prehistoric times, humans encouraged the survival of certain types of dogs by feeding and caring for the ones that were useful to them, and killing or neglecting the others. As a result, certain dog types emerged. People encouraged these distinctions by mating dogs of a certain type with each […]
Cockfighting – A Blood Sport
Cockfighting began in Southeast Asia more than 3,000 years ago. And it continues there today as well as in many other parts of the world. Although it is illegal in all 50 U.S. States, stories abound of authorities breaking up cockfighting rings. Cockfighting is also illegal in Australia, Brazil and some parts of Europe. In […]
Classroom Dissection
Every year, millions of animals are dissected in elementary, secondary, and college science classes. This constitutes not only animal lives lost but abuse and environmental havoc. Animals earmarked for dissection are gassed and injected with formaldehyde. Sometimes they are still alive while being injected. Formaldehyde and other carcinogenic materials are used to preserve the dead […]
Catalonia, Spain Bans Bullfighting
The Catalonian region of Spain has announced the historic decision to ban bullfighting. The image protrayed of the brave matador battling a raging bull is totally false. The bull is considerably weakened by the time it faces the matador. The bull has been beaten on the kidneys, has vaseline rubbed in his eyes and then […]
Change in Animal Testing – Botox
Thanks to a 7 year battle by the HSUS, Botox manufacturer Allergan has developed and has federal approval for a new procedure that doesn’t require animal testing. Botox is the anti-wrinkle treatment. The LD 50 test (Lethal Dose 50%) consists of giving animals various doses of a substance in order to determine the amount that […]
Victories for Animals in 2010
The ASPCA and the HSUS reported on victories for animals in 2010. Here are some of the bills that became law this past year. The Crush Video Act was signed by the President and became law on December 9th. The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act was passed in Missouri in November. However the fight is […]
Texas CAPA Legislation Introduced
New legislation has been introduced in Texas, known as the Texas Companion Animal Protection Act. This act would ban gas chambers as a means of euthanization, make it illegal to kill animals if rescue groups are willing to save them, end “convenience killing” (killing when there are empty cages), require shelters to tell the truth […]
Support the Pet Safety and Protection Act
Our pets are being sold to research laboratories and under the current law, they are not fully protected. Class B dealers and unlicensed animal dealers are not held accountable for where they obtain cats and dogs they sell to labs. Some of these dealers look for free pet ads, falsify records and steal pets from […]
Support the PUPS Act
There is a loophole in the animal welfare legislation that allows puppy mills to go without inspection and license if they sell puppies online. This means that puppy mills can continue to operate and mistreat the dogs in their care. This past May, 3 Senators introduced the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act (PUPS) to […]