Animal rights: Does responsibility always come with rights?

Question

Should animals have rights if they cannot fulfil the responsibility of respecting others' rights?
Should animals have rights (which are legal or moral entitlements) if they do not behave morally themselves?

Opinions, please!

Answer 1

No, they do not have rights.

Animals cannot handle rights for exactly the reason stated in your question. People have a responsibility to treat them properly and they should be punished for not doing so. That is not the same as having rights though, it is merely our social responsibility to all creatures.

The animal cannot understand the consequences of his actions, he cannot learn to respect the rights of others, he cannot learn moral responsibility. He can only learn obedience and how to please his master-the one who has the rights, and the responsibilities for the animal.

Answer 2

Animals DO fulfill responsibilities put upon them. What happens to a dog that attacks a child? They are put down. What happens to a dog that never learns to go outside? What happens to a cat when it continues to claw the furniture?They often get sent to the pound... where they are often put down. A dog or cat that is good, however, is more than worthy of rights, because that dog or cat DOES fulfill his responsibility in life. So long as an animal is fulfilling its responsibility, it deserves rights. Whether or not the animal has actual morals is irrelevant.

That said, even if I were wrong, an animal would still be subject to the right to good treatment, because if WE are subject to responsibility due to morals, then we are not fulfilling our moral obligation by mistreating an animal. So even if an animal does not deserve to have "rights," it is still a reflection of our own moral responsibility that we would give animals rights.

Answer 3

People who are severely disabled also cannot fulfill the responsibility of respecting others rights. Should they be treated like animals?

Humans are not given rights just because they "behave morally". As you know many humans are totally amoral but they still deserve basic rights.

Rights are not just things like 'right to own a house', 'right to drive', 'right to buy stuff'. The important rights like the right to have a life without suffering is provided by a higher power and are equally given to humans and animals.

Answer 4

Oh gosh! Sure you shouldn't kill or torture animals because we DO know better, but I cannot stand people that think we should give animals full protection of the law (some crazy PETA people think animals should pretty much get to vote)
They're animals!

But mvonder1987!!!!!1 They have feelings too, how would you like it if you were treated that way?

Well people used to do that to other people and we made laws against it. So I'm not that concerned.

Answer 5

They have the right to be treated humanely. If they act up, the owner is responsible.