Should animals be treated equally as humans?

Question

Do you think an animal life is as valuable as a human life? Are animals as important as humans? Could we really live without animals?

Answer 1

I do believe that an animal's life is as valuable as a human life. We have no way of putting ourselves inside of them and seeing the world through their eyes; knowing how complex their mind truly is. They are as important as us, and we can not live with out them. Every living thing is a part of an interconnected web, in which breaking one strand may unravel the whole thing. We can continue to learn about and from animals. I often wonder about all of the species that may have existed in the ocean, but may now be extinct due to our carelessness. We will never know that those creatures existed and what information we could have obtained about them.

I am probably one of the few that actually believes animals and humans are equal. My dad was always telling me that an animal's life should never be considered an equal to a human's. I just can't help looking at the amazing things animals do (dolphins' and elephants' communication skills, for example) and continue to believe we are any more important than they. As a matter of fact, I think some animals are more intelligent than some of my fellow humans....

Don't get me wrong, I still eat meat. I just have a problem with people thinking they are so much better than animals that they can use them for their own entertainment (like elephants in a circus, killer whales doing tricks at Sea World, etc.)

Answer 2

Animals are indeed very valuable and their lives should be respected. Should they be treated equally to humans? No. Animals are animals and humans are humans. Any statement that can be used in a quasi rational fashion when used either forward or backward causes me stress. Are you saying animals should be treated like humans therefore it's reasonable to treat humans like animals? Why would you elevate an animal to a level of superior importance in one area of the world when many humans don't live as well as pets on the local animal shelter? Perhaps you should reword your question and I'll answer you more specifically next time.

Answer 3

No we could not live without animals. They are very important and as important as the human population for various reasons (economic impact, farming, companion animals). But there is not one animal whose life is as valuable as that of a human. Yes animals should be treated humanely, they should not expereiece pain and they should be treated with respect. However they should not be categoriezed in law as companions, pet owners should not be gardians. Animals are property. Do you know all the crap that will come if all these laws that animal rights people want get passed. I do not think that people should be able to leave all of their possesions to an animal in a will either.

Answer 4

No, animals should not be treated equally as humans. After all, animals don't have as complex needs as humans. They do not bicker over family wills, they do not vote, they don't complain about minimum wage or gas prices, and they do not run for political office - (well, there were some dog mayors, but...)

However, animals do feel anziety, pain and suffering, and they should be respected as such. They should be able to act as nature intends them to. If they must be killed by humans, it should be a respectful death, as quick and painless as possible. (No death is truly painless, anyone who says otherwise is full of it.)

Is animal life as important/valuable as human life? Oooh, that is a grey area indeed. How do you value a life? Is it self-awareness? Ability to contribute to society? Intelligence? Your answers to those questions determine your answer to the former.

As for could we really live without animals... of course not, ecologically speaking. Basically, life allows life. Even a single species lost can cause huge distruptions.

However many city-dwelling humans live without directly interacting with any animals, living at least, aside from other humans. They seem to function well-enough, but long-term effects of such "nature deficit" is poorly understood.

Answer 5

I think we should treat them humanely...but they're not people and should not be treated as such. Some animals that you try and treat like people will kill you...and some are eaten by us, no good to make friends with your food.

Answer 6

No No and No. Animals should have some rights but not equal rights.

Answer 7

No I think that even humans have too many rights , well as far as criminals go the have too many rights ,

Answer 8

With the same respect and consideration, like a little brother or child who can't defend themselves

Answer 9

YES