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Group seeks to clarify difference between animal welfare and animal rights
Story Date: 4/22/2013
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Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 4/19/13
Animal welfare is treating domesticated animals with respect and care, which is a priority for the National Institute for Animal Agriculture. Animal rights, however, is a concept the group does not support and should not be taught in schools, the group announced after its annual conference this week.
“We believe in, and support, animal welfare as these practices focus on the prevention of suffering and cruelty to animals,” Livestock Program Director for Illinois Farm Bureau and co-chair of NIAA’s Animal Care Council Jim Fraley explained in a news release. “NIAA does not believe in animal rights as the animal rights philosophy advocates an end to all ‘human use of animals.’”
During its annual conference, NIAA members adopted a position that public schools should not stir confusion regarding the difference between animal welfare and animal rights by allowing extremist animal rights groups to present their views, which can be erroneously perceived as facts. The group said today’s children and future generations should understand the importance of animal welfare and not confuse animal welfare with animal rights.
Concern about what public schools should or should not allow regarding animal welfare and animal rights education arose when NIAA members learned about a California school system that allowed a movie involving animals to be shown and followed up the movie with a discussion focusing on how cruel it is to eat fish.
“NIAA members believe human societies require and accept the use of animals as sources of food and fiber, as well as for scientific research, sport, companionship, entertainment and clothing. It is the obligation of animal caretakers to provide the best care possible of animals throughout their lifetime, and NIAA’s membership takes this obligation very seriously,” said Fraley.
“Those of us in animal agriculture do not believe that extremist animal rights groups should be allowed to dictate information children are exposed to—or will be exposed to—at our public schools regarding animal welfare,” Fraley said. “Animal rights groups led by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), PETA and the Institute of Humane Education (IHE) do not reflect balanced views and are campaigning across the United States to implement what they refer to as ‘humane education,’ a program of extreme ideological material they aspire to teach in our school systems.”
Fraley said emotional, subliminal vegan messages replacing animal care based on accepted, proven animal husbandry practices are “not education, but indoctrination.”
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