The proper treatment of animals …show more content…
The three basic rights that most animal rights activists feel should be awarded to non-human animals are similar to those guaranteed to United States citizens in the Declaration of Independence: life, individual liberty, and exemption from torture. Opponents of animal rights argue that animals lack both the mental and moral capacity to be granted even the most basic rights. In July 2012 a group of leading scientists signed "The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness in Human and Nonhuman Animals." The declaration says that humans are not the only conscious beings and that many other animals, including those that are unlike humans, possess consciousness and, in all likelihood, self-awareness. Animal personhood advocates counter that although it's true that research on animals has helped save both human and animal lives in the past, there's no reason why medical research needs to continue using animals as …show more content…
These movements have slightly different opinions on how animals may be used. Organizations that protect animals typically run local shelters and rescue groups. They also raise millions of dollars each year. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ranks as the world’s largest animal rights group. PETA has recruited many celebrities to help it challenge the use of animals for food, clothing, and research. Other major animal protection organizations include the Humane Society of the United States and the World Society for the Protection of Animals. The animal protection movement began to attract large numbers of supporters at the end of the 1800's. It declined during and after World War I (1914-1918) but began to reemerge after World War II (1939-1945). The 1950's saw the establishment of several new animal protection organizations, as well as the expansion of existing groups. During the 1970’s, the animal rights movement grew out of the animal protection movement. Both movements have expanded dramatically since the