Non-human animal rights and interests are gaining more and more attention among researchers and the general public as time goes by. The domestication of animals has allowed human beings to observe animal behavior more closely. It has also created a bond between human beings and animals. With that in mind, there are questions over whether caging and rearing animals with the intention of consuming them or their products is justified. Those who support animal exploitation argue that human beings are at the top of the food chain, and feeding on animals is necessary for survival. Animal rights activists assert that animals have feelings and interests, and therefore, human beings should neither consume them nor disturb their natural habitat settings. This paper defends the assertion that non-human animals have interests.
Animal interests can broadly be categorized into welfare and preference interests. Welfare interests are associated with survival. For example, on a hot day, animals move to areas with shade. Moreover, eating when hungry is a confirmation that animals have welfare interests. Many people agree that animals have welfare interests; animal preference interests are often the point of contention. Preference interests can be defined as the things that a particular animal desires, wants, or dislikes. In other words, it is a question of whether the diet and the living conditions that human beings give animals is what the animals would prefer. Different studies have proven that animals have preferences. One of the often-cited examples is that of chicken and where they lay eggs. A chicken has a particular place where it usually lays eggs, and if the spot is not accessible, it will first struggle to access it before moving to another area (Comis, 2013) . A closer look at the dietary habits of animals can also show that they have preference interests. For example, among bees, some prefer nectar while others prefer pollen (Amdam & Hovland, n.d.). Non-human animals are denied the choice over their diet when they are domesticated. Having interests means that non-human animals have rights that should be protected.
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References
Amdam, G. V., & Hovland, A. L. (n.d.). Measuring Animal Preferences and Choice Behavior . Retrieved August 10, 2019, from The Nature Education Knowledge Project.
Comis, B. (2013, November 19). The "Interests" of Animals . Retrieved August 10, 2019, from HuffPost: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/farm-animals-interests_b_3956142
