Do animals deserve to have rights? The right to a home? Love? Food and water? Medical Attention? Of the millions of people who own pets, the vast majority will reply, “Of course!” All animals, especially those that live with us, such as our dogs or cats, deserve to be treated with the same decency that we treat each other with. Granted, these animals do not need a comfy couch to sleep on or clothing to wear, but they should be allowed a warm place to sleep, proper care, and medical attention at the bare minimum.
First on the animal rights list should be the right to a warm, dry place to sleep. Woe to the poor, unfortunate dog who is chained out in the middle of the yard with nary a tree to cover his head. Would you treat a child like this? Is this anyway for a feeling creature to live? Should he not have a roof above him and a rug to lie on? All creatures deserve some place where they can get out of the weather. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a warm house and an old rug would suffice.
The next thing on the list of animal rights would be the right to attention. Just as humans have their social classes, dogs have their packs. And in the case of domesticated dogs, their pack must be their owners. We are both, essentially, social creatures and need contact with other living beings to be able to function properly. It is an animal’s right not to be confined and banished to a backroom all day, or outside all night. They have the right to be in our homes with us, or at least have our attention for a few hours every day. If this right is not accessible to them, they may turn vicious with the lack of socialization.
The third item on our pets’ list of right should be the right to have food and water. We would never even consider the thought of forcing another human to go without food or water for a day or two. Why is it then that some people think it is alright if their animal is without these two basic necessities? All creatures need food to survive, as well as fresh water every day. You cannot expect your pet to live long or well on merely table scraps and stale water.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, come your animal’s right to receive medical care. Would you let a child die from an unknown illness? Neither should you allow your pet to suffer that fate. They deserve, at the minimum, yearly check-ups and vaccinations against disease. This will help guarantee your pet a happier, healthier life.
These rights may seem a bit ridiculous for some people, but they really require so little effort from you. For your pet, these things may mean the difference between a long, healthy life, or a short, painful misery. These things are the same as what we would do for other people, why are pets so different? The amount of joy and companionship you receive in return for giving these four basic rights to your pet will far exceed the time and effort you put into achieving them.
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