ISSN 2348-313X (Print) International Journal of Life Sciences Research ISSN 2348-3148 (online) Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp: (24-28), Month: April - June 2020, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS ON ANIMAL RIGHTS AND WELFARE A . A .ALLAHOKI Department of animal health and production technology, Federal Polytechnic Bali Taraba State Nigeria.
Abstract: Due to increasingly public abuse towards animals, there is need to investigate the perceptions of animal owners on animal rights. This work was to investigate people perceptions on animal rights which may also affects the welfare of the animals. Four hundreds (400) questionnaire eliciting vital information on system of rearing animals, educational background and people perceptions on animal right and welfare were distributed to animal owners in Bali local government area. Data were collected, analyzed and presented in a chart and simple percentage format for easy interpretation. The findings from these research shows that 308 (77.39%) of the respondents knows nothing about animal right while on 90 (22.61%) knows about animal rights. 301(75.63%) suggested that animals should not have rights while 97(24.37%) suggested that animal should have right. This could be attributed to the level of education and socioeconomic background of the farms.it is therefore recommend that serious awareness campaign should be adopted to enlighten livestock owners on animal rights and welfare. Keywords: Animal, right, perceptions, people, abuse, cruelty, welfare
1. INTRODUCTION Animal cruelty is a human infliction of pains upon non-human animals for different reasons. Therefore, caging animals for laboratory testing and other purpose across the world violates the animal rights (Ankem, 2017). Animal cruelty has been a major issue of concern all over the world. It can be either deliberate violating the right of the animals or simply the failure to take care of animal; either way can cause pain to the animal (Ankem, 2017). So many people own animals and cannot meet up of their need, however, this is also counts as animal cruelty or abuse (Singer 1976). According to the human society of the United State, people with emotional problems like to hurt animals (Regan, 2004). However, this can be very dangerous because who can shoot, hit or set animals on fire, can also hurt other humans beings too (Singer 1976). One of the worst animal abuses is that when people leave their pet in cage they forget to feed them. (Deviney et al; 1983). Therefore the U.S State has their own law against animal cruelty because farmers and researchers can do cruel things to animal that other people cannot do legally. In order to better understanding, animal abuse in the United State. (Ascione; 2001) Animal Right Animal right belief that non-human animals have right to be free of human use and other abuse. There is also a confusion about animal right, a lot of people think that animal right means putting animals above humans (Regan, 2004). However, it is not possible because human and animal do not have the same morality. Almost everybody agreed with the facts that animals are absolutely not equal with humans. There are so many discussions about animal right, we have to think about the wild animals too when we cut down too many trees for words or we pollute the water and the air. According to Alice (1999), which states that animal have the right to live just as humans do. Animals have the same feelings and heartbeat. Non-human animals also express them self on different way to show some discomfort and pains (Joyce, 1979).
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