Humane Treatment of Animals: Benefits, Ethics and Laws - Essay Sample

Introduction

Human beings, being the dominant species on Earth, interact with various animals daily for several reasons. Some interactions are positive, while others are negative. Most human beings' way of life includes animals in homes, while other interactions are sought out. Either way, the main concern is that the treatment of animals should be humane. Humane treatment of animals humanely is a significant ethical standing supported by law to support animal welfare.

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Animals contribute either directly or indirectly to the human food chain. Human beings overproduction of various animals affects not only the number of animals being hunted but the number of animals that usually hunt them. The food chain is all related from the very top of the triangle to the very bottom. Although humans do not usually eat bees if bees were to go extinct, the world would end in approximately seven years. A more reasonable example is the cause and effect of fishing. Humans overly consume many fish like salmon, sardines, or catfish. The result of this was a dramatic drop in the number of penguins being produced each year because they also consume fish. However, their food source was being depleted by human interaction. Therefore, fish should be regulated to avoid future dire catastrophes in the future.

Another way animals and humans interact is a master-pet relationship. Often, humans adopt animals to live with them at home in a domesticated style. The animals are usually taken care of by their human in every way. They do not have to hunt for food, water, shelter, or any of the usual necessities that other animals endure. Some of the most common animals are dogs, cats, hamsters, and some common dramatic animals are lions, snakes, or tigers. However, many times, animals suffer abuse from their owners. Some inhumane acts include burning their pets, beating them, malnutrition, and even animal battles. Some animals are even neglected and left by owners after being domesticated. This situation poses a challenging transition to adjust to after being pampered for several years and then placed back into the wildlife. Animals have frozen to death after not being able to find shelter. Some animals starve to death, and predators or environmental factors kill others. These inhumane acts are unjust to the animals, hence should be condemned.

Humans also use animals for entertainment or service. Some examples include horse racing, dog shows, breeding events, zoos, aquariums, and carnivals. All of these places must uphold many rules and regulations regarding the treatment of animals to avoid their abuse. Often these rules are not held to a standard, and animals display unnatural behavior. Animals are also taken from their wild habitat, stripped off their families and taken to service humans. Being kept in a cage and unnatural habitat can make any animal depressed, which is common in these settings. Depressed animals display symptoms of isolated self-awareness, while others exemplify aggression and anger. For humans to enjoy better services from animals, they ought to stick to the rules and cohabit well with them.

Every species affect each other, whether directly or indirectly. In most cases, the more dominant the species; the more diverse of prey they can capture and eat. Some animals have preferences of specific animals while others hunt on instinct. Homo sapiens, better known as humans, are not different in terms of interactions with other animals for food. Humans are the dominant species on Earth, and as such, they consume not only one species, but a variety of different animals. In order to do so, humans often resort to the most traditional way of obtaining food, which is hunting. Even still, with a higher understanding ethically, laws have been put in place to ensure that animals are treated humanely before undergoing their preparations for service, whether it is in life or death. The main concern is that animals are treated with respect and live nurtured from start to finish.