The unjust power dynamics of ‘pet ownership’: Should all animals control their own lives?
The unjust power dynamics of ‘pet ownership’: Should all animals control their own lives?
‘Pet ownership’ is surging, with the number of pet cats and dogs outstripping the number of human children in some countries. Yet we rarely ask whether ‘pet keeping’ is morally justifiable. Even owners who love their pets control almost every aspect of their lives, and they are kept primarily to serve these owners’ interests. We breed and raise pets to need us, manufacturing their vulnerability and stripping them of their ability to control their own lives. Without a justification for this power dynamic which appeals primarily to the interests of pets, rather than their owners, we should abolish pet keeping […]
Wayne Hsiung: A simple guide to rescuing animals who are victims of criminal abuse
Wayne Hsiung: A simple guide to rescuing animals who are victims of criminal abuse
There are a large number of criminal offenses that could be charged in an animal rescue scenario — burglary, theft, criminal damage, conspiracy — but virtually all of these incorrectly assume that rescuing animals from abuse is a criminal violation of an animal abuser’s legal rights. This assumption is incorrect. Rescuing animals from abuse is not a crime. There are numerous provisions of law that plausibly create a right to rescue animals from abuse. WAYNE HSIUNG: In March 2024, my two co-defendants and I were slated to go to trial after being accused of burglary and theft for removing three […]
STUDY: Vegans develop complex skills to navigate an omnivorous society
STUDY: Vegans develop complex skills to navigate an omnivorous society
Foregoing meat and other animal products purely for ethical reasons can cause tension between vegans and their friends, families, partners, businesses and even other vegans. These tensions are the subject of a new paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research. The study examines the relational fractures vegans sometimes experience and the strategies they use to navigate this challenge. The study identified four kinds of social skills vegans adopt to manage conflict: chameleoning, decoding, decoupling, and divesting. PHYS.ORG: Going vegan is a life-changing decision. Successfully committing to eating only ethically sourced, non-exploitative products—no dairy, no honey, no eggs, no animal […]
