More than 60% of Americans think animals deserve legal welfare protections, with a striking nearly one-third arguing that animals should have the same rights to be free from harm and exploitation that humans do.
JANE DESMOND: ‘Often, Americans think about their relationships with animals as only about the pets in their homes. But from the food we eat to the drugs we develop to the protection of our wilderness areas and climate change and even to how we wage war, animal lives touch nearly every aspect of human life.
But the political approach to these issues has been mainly through piecemeal legislation, like the debates over whether to restrict the exotic animal trade or whether circuses should be outlawed. We need federal leadership and a robust national conversation about how human and animal lives are intertwined and in need of protection.
Voters are paying attention to these issues. More than 60 percent of Americans think animals deserve legal welfare protections, with a striking nearly one-third arguing that animals should have the same rights to be free from harm and exploitation that humans do.
Support for this belief has grown in the last ten years. While backed by women more than men and Democrats more than Republicans, the view that animals should have a right to be free from exploitation has support among all demographics, indicating that animal welfare is not some niche issue relevant only to one group…
As the Democratic race narrows, the debates should ask about the candidates’ vision for our relations with animals. This is not a marginal question, but one that touches on fundamental aspects of daily life affecting every segment of society’. SOURCE…
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