Moral Vision Statement

My moral vision statement for non-human animals is as follows:

All non-human creatures should be treated with the same and equal consideration that our fellow humans are treated with. This does not mean equal rights, for what would a dog do with the right to vote, and a dolphin with the right to obtain a valid driver’s license. This just means that before something happens involving a non-human animal we should look at them as if they are humans for a moment to decide whether the situation is just and base consequences off of this if harm should come to the animal or if the use is found to be unjust. On that note, the exception would be animal slaughter for food and food alone, as mentioned below.

If I were to create my own personal philosophy, I would make dog breeding, buying and selling illegal for a certain number of years, and leave the public the only option of adoption. Then I would set regulations and standards for breeding to resume after pet overpopulation has decreased, and all breeders must be registered with a specific department of government. Only one litter per year would be allowed to each breeder by each breeding dog, and the number of breeding dogs allowed would not exceed four dogs. Inbreeding would also be considered illegal with consequences to follow. The USDA and a certified member of the AHA would make rounds several times a year to all registered breeders. If you are caught as an unregistered breeder- if you have animals for sale on the internet or newspapers, etc. - then you will be fined a giant sum of money and legal defenses will determine your punishment based on the severity of the case. All vet offices throughout the country would be forced to hold a sale on spaying and neutering once or twice per year at a very cheap rate for animals in their area. Animals hunted must have a steady or increasing population, must be in their natural, unfenced habitat, and must have a distinct purpose for being hunted such as the consumption of the meat. Hunting an animal for its skin or only certain parts of its body is prohibited, as is the buying, selling, trading and promoting of animal skin and body parts, i.e. elephant ivory. After humane means of slaughter are established for slaughterhouses, they will be given a number of animals that they cannot exceed in slaughter per year and people must register if they will be buying meat with a brief survey as to how much they consume throughout the year so that meat will not be wasted and animals will not be slaughtered for nothing. Cameras must be placed in each and every slaughterhouse by a member of the American Humane Association who will then have direct access to all footage in all slaughterhouses all over the country in on place at the touch of a button. This footage can also be accessed by the USDA and AHA when they come around for inspections as well. Any use of an animal by the entertainment industry must be inspected several times per year by the AHA or have a full time certified AHA member on staff at all times and also must have cameras installed to which will also follow the above guidelines. All research facilities will be under the same camera laws as the two aforementioned, and must also have a member of the AHA for inspections or on full time staff. Animals kept by zoos, aquariums and any other industries associated must have adequate means of space as well as passing a mental, emotional and physical stress test performed by professionals, each year. Animals may not be given a disease or harmed in order to further research; they must find animals already injured or diseased to operate on. I feel that these requirements are things that are doable in my life as well as others. It would also create more jobs with the AHA and possibly the USDA. These standards would help ensure humane situations for all animals in these situations until further adjustments for humane methods can be made.