Animal Cruelty: The Ethical Theories Of Animal Welfare

It is despicable as a human being to believe that animals have no rights. Today, eagerness to meet the high demand for meat, dairy, and eggs in a record amount of time is the cause of deplorable conditions and animal cruelty. Whistleblowers have helped in making public the inhumane treatment of these animals. Proving that there is a need to direct attention to the animal welfare. On the contrary, the animal agriculture industry is making an effort to protect themselves from whistleblowers. They have passed Ag-Gag-Laws to suppress whistleblowers and investigators from making public the deplorable conditions and routine cruelty that animals endure. They pretend like animal cruelty does not exist. The reality is that it makes no sense for the industry to deny abusive conditions. Then pass a law that punishes those who expose animal cruelty. Their intention is to keep their atrocious practices secret from the public. Animal welfare is not a priority for the industry and with such laws animals will continue to be victims of harm. In this paper, I will discuss how the moral theories of

Since God created animals as a resource to humans. That entitles humans to use animals as they wish. Undeniable, we see animals as food. The moment we walk into the grocery store we see their remains. At times, animals are used for fun, humans feel entitled to use them as a sport, and this theory supports the behavior. Similarly, Ag-gag-laws act like the Natural Law Theory. They favor animal cruelty. Billions of animals die because they are only seen as objects of instrumental value. Aristotle said, “Nature exists specifically for the sake of man” (Vaughn 495). Aristotle like Thomas Aquinas, are convinced there is nothing wrong with killing or using animals in any way. To be sure, Aquinas said, “Animal cruelty in itself, is no wrong” (Vaughn 495). Clearly, Natural Law Theory not only aids but also supports