To me, I think that it is completely common sense and the moral thing to believe in rights of animals. In regards to Regan’s idea, I do believe in the direct duty views. I think that when you hurt a dog, it completely makes sense that you are hurting the dog itself. Animals have rights and have the ability to feel pain so why would someone inflict that pain onto the animal? To me, just because it is an animal doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t have any type of rights. For example, those ASPCA commercials mention the abuse that some of these animals face and just hearing that and seeing the pain that these animals have inside just triggers something in me and in most other people to make us all feel as if there should be animal rights and a protection for them. They deserve love and care just as much as humans. Also, in relation to animal rights, this is the reason Michael Vick was in such deep trouble for his dog fighting circle. There isn’t anyone that I can think of that feels as if what he did wasn’t wrong. Hurting animals is morally wrong on it’s own which is why I support the direct duty view.
I definitely agree with your case for animal rights. Every time I hear the ASPCA commercial with Sarah McLaughlin I automatically want to donate to the cause. So many people own pets, and not just dogs, so when animals are in pain, people want to help because if their pet was in pain they would help it as much as they could. Also, your Michael Vick example does shed some light on how society as a whole views animal rights. Vick’s name was tainted after he got in trouble for dog fighting and every time his name comes up in conversation, dog fighting comes up as well and people always act disappointed towards his actions.
I agree with all of this, but I also think that the views on animal rights come in two different categories. I think that there is one category for household pets and when those animals are harmed, a large set of the population is outraged (such as with the Michael Vick case). I think there is another set for animals that aren’t pets, such as cows and chickens and those kind of animals. Every so often a video comes out about the horrible treatment they face on those giant farms but the outrage usually dies down pretty quickly and nothing comes of it.