The term “interest” is used to describe what is beneficial for
someone. It promotes what is good for anyone whose life can go well
or ill.
Animals are living beings just as humans and so they can feel
and think as well.So,they could have interests too like taking care
of their family could be one interest. Surviving by searching for
food and building a house for shelter could be another
interest.They can feel suffering and joy. Their lives can go well
or ill for them. This means they do have interests, just as humans
do.
But on the other hand,the interests of nonhuman animals have
been largely disregarded. Nonhuman animals have only been granted
minimal moral consideration. As a result, they have been
systematically exploited in many ways that cause them to suffer.
They have also been killed in great numbers to provide humans with
commodities made from their bodies.
But this view as been challenged in todays time,wherein animal
interests and rights are considered as much important as human
interests and rights. For this reason only,animal testing has been
banned to a large extent.
Animals need to be able to live in order to have a happy life.
Many people think humans, but not nonhuman animals, have an
interest in living too.
Scientific evidence has also suggested that non human animals
do have a moral code as well.Scientists studying animal behaviour
believe they have growing evidence that species ranging from mice
to primates are governed by moral codes of conduct in the same way
as humans.Animals appear to have an innate sense of fairness,
display empathy and help other animals that are in distress.
Animal rights can be defined as the idea in which non-human
animals are entitled to the possession of their own lives and that
their most basic interests such as the need to avoid suffering
should be afforded the same consideration as similar interests of
human beings.
Animals do have certain rights which is associated with their
protection and care.They give unconditional love, some creatures
such as whales and dolphins have us invading their space, this is
wrong. They have feelings, show loyalty, communicate with us as
we'll as each other. We as humans have no right to invade their
space, kill them, put them out their natural habitat, nor make
money from their misery.
If it is believed that animals have rights,the human beings
should consider them as conscious beings,humans should respect the
interests of non-human animals,they should not exploit non-human
animals and should not treat non-human animals as objects. Also
humans should not kill animals unless non-human animals have the
right not to be killed.