Animal Protection

Suppose you meet someone who claims pets are just animals and should be treated as such. What would you say to them to convince them that pets deserve just as much, love, respect and appreciation as humans do?

First of all, I would remind this person that we, as humans, are animals! Yes! Humans, species name Homos are considered to be part of the Animal kingdom, scientifically called Animalia . This implies that we are in the same circle, and share common characteristics such as the need of food and shelter.

Second, we must remember that we are not the only intelligent species. As I said before, humans are a just a part of a massive kingdom composed of all types of species and creatures. In fact, there have been several studies indicated that some animals can be even smarter than humans; this is due to the fact that they develop their own life cycle.

Third, animals are just like us. They have feelings, they eat, sleep, have assigned genders, procreate, have families, grow old and most importantly: they need love and care. There is nothing more heartwarming in this world that seeing my dog rush to the door when I get home. I feel so loved when she does that, and to embrace her with a hug, this is truly the highlight of every day. Also, they are everlasting support; they listen and take care of you.

My next point is that we should aim for equality in all forms. You wouldn’t abandon your cousin in the cold streets at night, would you? Would you hit a friend with your car and run off? Probably not. A homeless puppy is just as sad as a homeless person, and both should be helped. If not, they would probably die in the streets. Why do we see this as unjust issue for humans but not for animals? Animal cruelty shouldn’t be treated like a subject that needs to be swept under the rug. They deserve respect, love and care because they form an incredible part of our world. We are not above them, but with them.

As Charles Darwin wrote, the differences between humans and other animals are differences of degree, not differences of kind. Since both humans and nonhumans evolved over millions of years and share similar nervous systems and other organs, there is no reason to think we do not share a similar mental and emotional life with other animal species (especially mammals).

“Life is life-whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage...”

-Sri Aurobindo (poet and philosopher)

...