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Animal rights conversation questions

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Animal rights[edit | edit source]

  • What rights should animals have?
  • Should warm and attractive animals like puppies and kittens have more rights than ugly animals like rats and cockroaches? Why?
  • In Spain apes have been given special rights, in part, because they are genetically close to humans. Do you agree? Should apes and monkeys have more rights than other animals?
  • What - if anything - makes humans “special"?
  • Do you think animals dream?
  • Do animals have emotions? If you have a pet, have you ever noticed it express what you consider to be an emotion?
  • Do you think animals "think"? (What is "thought"?)
  • Do you think it is wrong to eat animals? What are the advantages or disadvantages of being a vegetarian?
  • What do you think about people who wear fur coats? In some countries some people react very negatively to furs.
  • Some famous models sometimes protest to the wearing of furs by taking off their clothes. What do you feel about this as a method of protest?

Animal testing[edit | edit source]

  • What do you understand by the statement, “The end justifies the means.”? Do you agree with it?
  • Do you think that it’s morally acceptable for scientists to use live animals in research for medicines that could be used to cure humans?
  • What do you feel about pain being inflicted on animals as a consequence of such testing? Does it matter?
  • Do you think that it’s morally acceptable for scientists to use live animals in research for cosmetics? If not, how should we test cosmetics?

Cats and dogs[edit | edit source]

Cats and dogs are our most common companion animals - at least in the west. How do you feel about the following activities?

  • Keeping large dogs in flats.
  • Keeping dogs tied to a post all day.
  • De-clawing cats.
  • Trimming or cutting whiskers of cats
  • Neutering dogs.
  • Neutering cats.
  • Cutting off or surgically shaping dogs' ears or tails.

Entertainment[edit | edit source]

  • What are your feelings about zoos? Do you think they exist to help animals or to entertain humans - why?
  • What are your feelings about circuses?

Sports[edit | edit source]

A “blood sport" usually involves the death of an animal. The animal may or may not be eaten later.

  • What are your feelings about the following blood sports:
    • Fox hunting with dogs.
    • Stag (male deer) hunting with dogs.
    • Bullfighting.
    • Fishing.
    • Dog fighting.
    • Cockfighting.
  • Do you go horse riding? Have you ever been? Do you think it is cruel or do you think the horse enjoys it?

See also[edit | edit source]

Animals
Other


Spanish parliament approves 'human rights' for apes - The Guardian