Traditionally, many countries and religions around the world consider treating animals equal to humans an important issue. For many years they’ve cherished and represented them traditionally as their symbol. For instance the Hindu religion treats them as equal to humans and shows a deep obligation to respect and honor to cow. However, throughout human history, many continued treating animals so cruelly and as if they’re subjects to be owned, consumed and ever tortured.  Today, societies around the global interact with animals in various violent ways. For example, over consumption of meat, the use of animals for experiments and harmful research, the use of animals in entertainment and sports, the use of animals skin and fur, and owning and adopting animals as pets. Why did methods of treating animals changed since the past couple of years? Why do some religions and countries treat animals with respect while others with pure selfishness and cruelty? Animals are a part of the moral community and should not be used as objects to benefit humans needs.

In modern societies many people are participating in vegetarianism and veganism. Stating that being a vegetarian or a vegan reduces animal suffering since animals slaughter and farming methods are barbaric and cruel. It’s not the nature of humans to kill and eat other species as some people claim, or that meat provides energy. Having strength and energy on a vegetarian diet, is absolutely possible. Some of the world’s top athletes are vegetarian. A few examples: Carl Lewis (perhaps the greatest Olympian of all time), Robert Parish (one of the “50 Greatest Players in NBA History”), Desmond Howard (Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl MVP), Bill Pearl (professional bodybuilder and four-time “Mr. Universe”), Jack La Lanne (Mr. Fitness himself) and Chris Evert (tennis champion) (Freston, 2007).Vegetarian athletes have the advantage of getting all the plant protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber they need without all the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated animal fats found in meat that would slow them down Animals are living creatures just like humans. They cannot be raised or slaughtered in a way without suffering. Furthermore, humans don’t have the right to kill animals saying humans should take over other weaker creatures. If humans truly believe they’re superior and should conquer, they should have responsibility to protecting these creatures and stop exploiting them.

Experimentation on animals has existed for many centuries for two general reasons, to either learn about a specific creature, or test substance on them and see if they are harmful. Most substances are extremely dangerous and often have slow, painful and fatal results. In fact, most experiments tested on animals are nothing like the ones tested on humans, they are more brutal and life threatening. Few scientists who are aware of how cruel this is are developing more research techniques that don’t involve animals is in all our interests. It offers an end to animal suffering, better research tools and improved therapies. Non-animal replacements have already led to advances in human medicine. Then there is a new technique called RNA interference, which enables scientists to knock out selected genes in human cells instead of testing the techniques on animals (Berger, 2010). Countries all over the world should stop animal testing for their benefit. Animals clearly have the right to be treated as equal to humans. Not only experimenting on animal’s potential gain is only for humans, but causing fatal experiments to a family member in animals is cruel. Because like us, they have a value of their lives and they should be left alone.

In various cultures animals have been used in entertainment and sports, as well. Such as, zoos and circus where animals are kept and slaved in their cages and stripped from their environment and families and forced to perform for humans or just wait in their cages till they die. They have to go through all this torture and abuse just for pleasing humans whether they’re children or adults. A few certain places have taken action to prevent this. Animal abusers would be tracked like sex offenders if California lawmakers have their way. The state legislature in considering a new proposal to establish a registry of names -similar to widely used sex offender database- to track and make public the identities of people convicted of felony animal abuse(Langley, 2008). Because animals are just like us, they feel pain, exhaustion, fear and stress. The whole idea of enslaving animals for our entertainment should be banned and stopped everywhere on earth. Using animals for our pleasure and amusement is not fair. Since we’re the superior creatures like many people claim, then it’s a part of our duty and job to take care of other weaker species, not caging them and performing all kinds of violent sports on them. These are absolutely not natural human activities as many claim. Animals are not ours to own just because they are weak and less superior.

Nowadays, a lot of people pay plenty of money for an animal’s fur or skin whether it’s for clothing or decoration. Many animals have to go through a lot of pain for this and none of the humans have ever thought what the pain would be like to just produce skin or fur for another creature’s gain. Shedding animals from their own skin and fur just to achieve the desirable look. None of us have the right to do such a thing to other creatures. They don’t even have the right to measure a price to their fur or skin based on how rare the creature is. What would it be like if humans for once thought about exchanging places with animals and giving them their own skin for their personal gain. Wouldn’t that be selfish? Wouldn’t’ that be cruel? If humans just thought about the pain animals go through they wouldn’t have thought of such a ridiculous act.

People around the world have been interested in adopting and keeping animals as their own as if they were objects and not living creatures. Most people think it’s all right for them to treat their pets with cruelty and abuse them due to the fact they belong to them. In addition, they own them just like any other non-living thing. If a person chooses to adopt an animal they should show complete responsibility and care towards it. If they’re not willing to then they should not adopt an animal and treat it as a toy that has no feelings and only exists for their amusement. Adoption means to take absolute responsibility and not neglect in any way or forcing a pet to pleasure an adopter. If animals are adopted then they deserve to be cared for or otherwise they should be left alone.

Last but not least, I frankly believe people do these acts due to the lack of knowing the feeling of having someone superior taking over and abusing them. However, people should be reminded of how serious treating animals are belonging to a different religion or society that doesn’t support animal rights and are not against animal abuse for people potential gain should reconsider re-viewing the reasons that clearly show how completely wrong and inhumane this is. Animals are members of our community and we all should be treated equally. Animal cruelty simply means torture with no absolute right.

References:
1)Kathy Freston. A Few More Inconvenient Truths “Huffing ton post”  February 2, 2007.
2)Judson Berger. California Considers Tracking Animal Abusers Like Sex Offenders. “Fox news” March 05, 2010.
3) Gill Langley. Should we experiment on animals? No. “telegraph” 28 Oct 2008.