Animal Rights - How We Treat Animals Reflects Who We Are

From a purely biological perspective, no creature inherently has rights beyond that which it has the power to impose. What is able to survive does, what cannot does not. But our world is not just biology. It is ethics as well. "Might makes right" cannot be the operating paradigm in a world where freedom, compassion, humanity, and love are desired. Nor are we removed from consideration of the rights of other creatures just because we are paying somebody else to create drugs, scent a deodorant, or raise our food.

Humans with the ability to use their technology to affect and control the world so widely and deeply are constantly faced with ethical choices. Modern life is not a matter of mere survival as it was when we were in the wild. It is an opportunity to develop and grow as introspective, sensitive, and ethical people. For example, walking in the woods requires no rules, but driving in traffic does. Drinking from a stream is not a problem, but damming the stream and flooding thousands of acres is. Breaking down brush with our hands to make a lean-to for shelter is one thing, but denuding the planet with machines is quite another. Hunting animals in the wild for food using only ingenuity, strength, and speed is a matter totally unlike wiping out whole populations with rifles (for 'sport') or with our urban encroachment. Farming animals to feed a swelling population is necessary, but denying them any form of natural or decent life, or subjecting them to abuse or cruelty is not a right we can claim.

Living in the wild would present few ethical choices. Causes and philosophy have a way of taking a back seat when life is consumed with day-to-day survival. But an advanced society with almost limitless technological capabilities is another matter. Our ability now to practically cage and control every creature on the planet and virtually destroy the Earth's life-supporting environment on an Earth-wide scale requires choices and ethical responsibility.

The first choice to be made, it would seem, is whether we wish to survive here long term or not. Assuming the answer is yes, we must take fiduciary responsibility for the planet and its web of life. But it does not end there, as some humane and green movements would seem to argue. In order to survive we must also take the lives of the plant and animal food we consume. That is a reality we face, and, assuming we wish to survive, it is not a matter of ethics. On the other hand, our management and behavior toward other living things-including our food-do present moral choices. It also creates a mood, if you will, setting the tone for how we treat one another. If we find it easy to treat life with insensitivity, it is a small step to treat one another the same way. If we extend care, compassion, and decency out toward the rest of the world, we are far more likely to treat fellow humans similarly.

Killing animals or plants for fun or just because we have the power to do so is neither rational nor ethical. It is a form of psychopathic behavior that threatens the web of life upon which we depend and desensitizes us to the value of all life.

People who take joy in the pain, suffering, and death of other creatures, or justify it because of dollars to be made, threaten civilization itself. It is not that great a leap for those who behave in this way to extend similar insensitivity to humans. Would we rather live next door to someone who creates habitat for wild creatures in their yard and live-captures house mice to set them free outdoors, or someone who stomps on any bug they see, chains their Dog to a stake in the yard, yahoos about shooting songbirds from their window with a pellet gun, and hunts for trophies leaving carcasses to rot? It is not a coincidence that serial killers often have a history of torturing and killing animals (1).

Creatures raised for food should not be treated as nothing more than production units, confined so as to never see the light of day, and then be handled and slaughtered inhumanely. They should be raised kindly in a free and open environment where they might enjoy the life they have. Arguably hunting should be reserved for the singular purpose of obtaining food, not for the pleasure of killing. If there is opportunity to show compassion, why not take it rather than abuse and exploit just because we have the power to do so?

Scientists and much of the public justify animal experimentation as necessary in order to find disease cures, test toxins, check mascara safety, and so on. I am reminded of an experience in a toxicology class. The lesson for the day was to show how topical products could be screened for safety. For a demonstration, the professor held a rabbit by the nap and put some drops of a chemical in the rabbit's eye. The rabbit squealed and struggled in pain. It was a miserable thing to see. As days went by we were shown the progression of the caustic chemical on the rabbit's cornea. The extreme ulceration that resulted was grotesque and the pain the rabbit was enduring was gut wrenching. To this day I remember vividly and regret that I paid tuition for this needless cruelty-although to show any reaction at the time risked being viewed as unscientific and emotional, a definite no-no in medical schools.

The lesson to be learned from this pathetic display of human insensitivity was that noxious chemicals will ulcerate and dissolve eyes. How profound. There wasn't a student in the class that could not have guessed the outcome before the macabre demonstration was done. The real takeaway was that life could be treated with disregard. If we wanted to be good doctors we needed to suck it up, put aside silly compassion and bravely mutilate life for the sake of the greater good of medicine.

Torture aside, such experimentation is unnecessary and really quite embarrassingly sloppy science. Those who participate in it become desensitized to suffering, lose compassion, and learn to hone the skill of obtuse justification. Medical experimentation upon animals is unnecessary because every species reacts to toxins, drugs, and even surgery differently. For that matter, every individual is different biochemically. What might be true for one goose is not for a gander. So a scientific result from a lab in which thousands of mice, Dogs, or monkeys are tortured does not give certainty about an effect in humans or in other species. Biological differences skew all results (2).

Aspirin causes birth defects in rats but not in humans. Humans and guinea pigs require vitamin C in the diet but most other creatures manufacture it themselves. An opium dose that will kill a human is harmless in Dogs and chicks. Allylisothiocyanate will cause cancer in the male rat, but may not in the female, or in mice. Penicillin will kill a guinea pig but potentially save the life of a person. Most drugs, nutrients, and toxins have a reverse effect: a benefit at one level is a danger at another. Measuring such things is near impossible (3). Even kindness in the lab can alter results as demonstrated by atherosclerosis (the heart attack factor) being reduced by as much as 60% in rabbits that are handled, compared to those ignored (4).

The point is that nobody knows all the variables when conducting such research. They can only control for some, guess at all the others, and then make an extrapolation, a huge leap in faith timed precisely to occur before the budget runs out. This is the reason drugs go through years of FDA trials at a cost of 360 million dollars, and then can kill and maim when introduced to the population.

Nevertheless, such heartless experimentation proceeds in the name of science and the promise of cures. It's a shame. Using a little logic, or other laboratory tools such as tissue culture techniques, could as well have led to the same conclusions gained from animal experimentation. For example, researchers used 24,000 mice to prove that 2-acetylaminofluorene was carcinogenic. Based on genetic context logic, you or I could have told them the result without caging or torturing one mouse. Why would a synthetic chemical such as this not be harmful?

What is most frustrating is that the result of all the animal experimentation is not cures. Rather, there are hundreds of thousands of maimed and killed humans who bought into the faulty science of such 'proven' drugs. Animal research brings us drugs with side effects, dependencies, prescription errors, cross-reactions, and removal of symptoms while the cause of the disease continues. Animal experimentation is a bad idea at its start and a tragic disaster in practice.

The popular idea is that our environment, including all of its creatures, is a mere resource for our exploitation. That is irrational if long-term human welfare is to matter and denies that humans have a higher purpose than might makes right.

(1) Relationship between Animal Abuse and Human Violence. Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, 2007. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.oxfordanimalethics.com.
(2) Gawrylewski, Andrea, 'The Trouble with Animal Models: Trials and Error', The Scientist 21-7 (2007), 45-51.
(3) Qureshi, B. The reverse effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 83 (1990), 131-132.
(4) Rowland, D. The Nutritional Bypass: Reverse Atherosclerosis Without Surgery. Parry Sound: Rowland Publications, 1995.

Dr. Randy Wysong is author of Living Life as if Thinking Matters, Solving The Big Questions as if Thinking Matters, several books on health, nutrition, self improvement, philosophy, and the origin of life. He is a pioneer in the natural health and nutrition movement, and is the first to put the creation-evolution debate on rational footings. His blog, books, updates, mind-stimulating content, interactive forums, and FREE thinking matters video-rich newsletter can be found at AsIfThinkingMatters.com.

What People Don't Know About Service Dogs or Service Animals

Basically, a service Dog or animal is the same as an assistance Dog that undergoes a lot of training to assist people suffering from disabilities - mental and physical. They can also be a best friend for people with severe depression. Service dogs can be specifically trained by service dog organization to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. However, the owner can also train the animal. Some dogs are donated from different breeders and some are abandoned dogs donated from local shelters. However, not all dogs can be a service dogs. Things like temperament, the ability to learn complex tasks, etc. Come into play within the dogs training. But any breed or mixture of breeds of dog might produce a representative capable of service work. In short, depending on breeds, your dog can have all of the qualities in terms of health, temperament, trainability and physical ability. These characteristics can lead them to be more than just your pet but a service dog/pet instead.

So, what's to expect after your dog has been certified? Honestly, for most, owners expect service dogs to be treated as animal on shift or working animal in public. Why? Simply because every owner's safety purely depends on dogs ability to handle distractions. During the training, your dog is prepared to avoid distraction as much as they can especially when wearing their gear and at the same time they are trained to be relax and friendly when the gear is removed. An owner's permission is a must before other people interacts with the dog while in public places.

What you might not know is that you can actually train your own service dogs. Nowadays, more people are choosing to train their own dog because there are times that training programs just aren't able to train the dog to the owner's individual needs. However, not all countries allow that type of training. Luckily, this is permitted to some countries including US but there are certain criteria to be considered. Trainers have to have skills which allows them to understand that their experience in training advanced service dogs are different from training the average dog simple obedience skills. Owners may need to hire a professional trainer or organization that is willing to train owner's dog. Owner-trainers usually start training their dog when they are still a puppy until they reach the right age to be evaluated. The only downfall is that some find it difficult to deal with emotional conflict in rare cases when a dog failed the evaluations and decide whether to re-home the dog and start again or to just keep it as a pet.

On the other hand, professionally trained puppies were raised accordingly via very careful research and also had to undergo a regime that has a lot of strict guidelines and mostly given a success rate of 85 % and above after evaluation which is way higher than owner-trained puppies/dogs. Why is that so? This is because program trainers are expert in manipulating the genetics or say early stimulation of puppies until the event that they become service dogs.

If you are planning to get a service dog, you don't have to worry about bringing them to where you are. In fact, as soon as your dog got registered, they are allowed to go anywhere you go. You can feel free to bring them to any restaurants, buses, schools, ride taxis, take airplanes, stores, movie theatres, sporting events, watch concerts with you, visit doctor's offices, and any other public place. Legally speaking, it is a requirement of federal and state laws to always have your dog with you. What makes it more exciting is that they do not have to wear any identifying gear, no need to wear their vest as well. So everything could actually be owner's discretion. The truth is that a lot of service dog owners choose to dress their dogs in vest and identifying apparels to avoid questions and confrontations in public. So by doing so, it makes their life easier and at the same time it helps keep the dogs away from distractions as much as possible. If you bring your dog elsewhere, keep in mind that it is illegal to ask for specific identification from service dogs partners. If somebody did, tell them it is not allowed by law. You can bring ID cards with you, but take note that it should be done voluntarily, again, this is NOT required and should never be expected.

So far, the most popular assistance animals are dogs. This is because dogs are man's best friend - wonderful pet, provides companionship, and protects their owner. Dogs are sociable by nature and as a matter of fact, they work closely with people such as law enforcement, search and rescue and even farming. These characteristics made it possible for dogs to be service animals.

What if you don't have a dog? In some cases, other animals can be trained to perform task to help disabled individuals to live independent life. The truth is that any trainable animal could be your service animal. The most common of course are dogs, cats, primates and birds but in reality any animal that is capable for training to perform the tasks required to benefit a qualified disabled owner/individual could be considered to be a service animal. So that means you can also have others like capuchin monkeys, which can be trained to do other task like operating knobs and switches, grasping fallen items and turn pages of your books. You can also consider training miniature horses, it's proven that after serious trainings, they can actually guide the blind; they can pull wheelchairs and even assist individuals with Parkinson's disease. As a matter of fact even before the evolution of service dogs, animal interactions already plays a big role in helping human with health issues. One example is horseback riding which is actually mentioned throughout history as cure for some sickness including gout, neurological disorders and depression. Up until now, animals still assist us in terms of physical and mental illness and still assist people with disabilities. Any species or breed of service animal may used by a disabled handler.

Keep in mind that service animals are classified based on task they can do but have you ever wonder about the difference between service animal, dog guide and therapy animal, companion/emotional support animals and pets? This question oftentimes brings confusions to people who need help.

To make it all clear, the term Service Animal is the federal legal term for animals that are individually trained to do task for individual with disability. It may not always be a dog, does not always wear equipments identifying them as service animals, is not a pet, is protected by law, guide the blind, alert people who are deaf, carry or pick up items, close and open doors, assist disabled who have limited use of arms and legs, pull wheelchairs, assist individual with seizures and assist people who have problems in balancing.

A guide dog / animal is trained to provide guidance for sight impaired individual. Guide dogs had their trainings from certified licensed school for guide dogs. The most important thing is that guide dogs are protected under state and federal law.

Some people referred to their animals as therapy animal however it is not legally defined under federal law. Most therapy animals can be seen in nursing homes, orphanages, hospitals, etc. while others reside in doctor/dentist offices, rehabilitations establishments, and even in private homes of people or individual that benefits a lot for keeping animals because of the therapeutic companionship it has to offer. For some states, it is defined as personal pet for therapist, physicians so in short, a therapy animal is not a service animal. The hint is that when an animal is trained to provide continuous assistance (help, aid, support) to a qualified disabled individual because of his / her disability, then that means that the animal is considered as service animal rather than a therapy animal.

In rare cases, people term their animals as companion or emotional support animals. It's often given the role of specifically assisting people with either emotional or mental disabilities and need constant companionship because they are unable to function independently. This type of animals are almost same as pets because it's not legally defined but accepted as another form of pet and protected under Fair Housing Act.

The most common confusion is how the pet is different from any other service animals. The answer is just simple. A pet is not a service animal because it's not trained to provide specific service or task to person with disability and it's not protected under laws that give equal access to disable individuals.

With all the types of service animals, people sometimes failed to identify if an animal is service animal or not. To tell you honestly, it's easier to tell which is not. How? You can tell by looking. It's important that you don't make the person with disability feel uncomfortable when you ask. However, if you are still confused if the animal meets the criteria to be called as service animal, you can ask question in a discreet way. You can ask if animal is required due to disability or maybe ask for task and services the animal was trained for. Remember that it's a big NO to ask the person about their disability. Never ever ask a guest for proof. In short, you cannot discriminate people with service animals because of their disability. You should not ask people with disabilities and their service animals to stay away or required to sit in certain locations, but instead, the individual with the animal may choose freely to sit in a location where the animal will be less distracted. Besides, with all the proper trainings given to both the owner and the animal, you may expect the service animal to behave the right way and be under control of their owner.

If you don't have disability, it's recommended for you to learn how to act the right way in cases that you see service animals in public. Keep in mind that you should never distract the dog on shift by calling, clapping, and even by offering food. You should never attempt to touch the service dog. You can speak to the dog owner but not to the service dog. Since we're avoiding distractions here, you should not get offended if your request to pet the assistance dog is not granted. You need to understand that if the owner lets the dog to greet you, you are distracting the dog's ability to stay alert on their owners. Don't be rude by telling the person that dogs are not allowed but instead ask if the dog is assistant dog. If the answer is yes, then stop questioning. If the person doesn't look disabled, never assume that the dog is not a service dog. Remember, it's wiser to observe first. If the dog pays too much attention and conduct close interaction to owner, chances are you are looking to a service dog.

On the other hand, if you are a service dog owner, you still need to pay attention on your dog's behavior and standards in public. People without disability will expect appropriate behavior from your dog. When going out, make sure your service animal is clean and doesn't have bad odor and most importantly, the service dog should not defecate or urinate in inappropriate places. Registered service animals should never make unsolicited contact with members of the general public and the animal's conduct should not disrupt the normal businesses no matter what. As an owner, it's a must for you to have the animal trained not to show aggression towards other people and animals at all. Service dog should obey all the commands of their owner. It is always important to have the animal work quietly and calmly as possible especially when wearing gears, and as a service animal, they are specifically trained to work out in public. Lastly, assistant animals should stay at least within 24 inches of its owner unless required to work in a greater distance. People with allergies are not protected under the law unless the allergy is really disabling. The person with a disability who is using a service animal is protected. One good place on the internet to get a proper registration for the dog and or animal is at http://www.registeredservicedogs.com.

by Jasmin Espinoza
Registered Service Dogs / Staff

Jasmin Espinoza is a stay home mom who works homebased. She was born in the Philippines Nov 3, 1984. She took Bachelor Of Science in Information Technology back in college and works for several IT companies. Her last employment was with IBM Business Services. As a single mom, she decided to work homebased and at the same time working as administrative staff at Registered Service Dogs online at http://www.registeredservicedogs.com. She's been in Business Process Outsourcing industry for 6 years now.

Making Money With Animals

It's an unfortunate reality that many persons work just to receive a pay cheque, as they find their regular nine-to-five jobs tedious and unfulfilling. Before the industrial revolution ushered in the concept of paid task labour, workers used to get satisfaction from earning from professions that suited their personalities and natural talents.

Although our modern-day economy doesn't readily allow all employees to achieve their dream occupations, it's still possible to successfully turn a hobby into a means of earning money. I like to encourage persons who are searching for part-time income opportunities to look for ways to profit from their passions and pastimes.

One leisure pursuit that can lead to a very rewarding income source is taking care of animals. If you find pleasure from working with members of the animal kingdom, then you might find one of the following alternatives appealing.

Ornamental Fish Rearing

Decorative fish are not only exquisite to look at, they are big business. There is an increasing demand for ornamental fish, not just for local enthusiasts, but for the export market. Improvements in fish-rearing technology now allow you to raise fish cost-effectively in a relatively small space. Contact the Jamaica Ornamental Fish Farmers Association at the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture if you need to learn more about this opportunity.

Exotic Bird Rearing

Raising beautiful birds is another prospective source of part-time revenue. With more persons living in apartments and confined spaces, the desire for small pets is growing. Birds are usually appealing to children, so they also make great gifts. Some exotic birds such as parrots are protected under Jamaican laws, so be careful to research the relevant legislations and follow the established practices that govern bird rearing.

Dog Breeding

It seems that Jamaicans are eagerly embracing the Dog-loving culture of our North American neighbours, and this development opens up several income-generating possibilities. No longer satisfied with the basic mongrel variety, many dog aficionados are demanding quality breeds and are willing to pay top dollar for them.

Obedience Training

Fans of the hit National Geographic television show, The Dog Whisperer will realise the tremendous earning possibilities available for talented dog trainers. Whether they are playful pint-sized pooches or aggressive attack animals, it appears that many pet dogs need to be properly socialised to behave appropriately. If you instinctively communicate well with animals, then obedience training might be an exciting option for you.

Dog Grooming

While dog lovers may enjoy the company of their pets, the extra work involved in grooming them may definitely be outsourced to others. In fact, some businesses make a fortune catering to the hygiene needs of pampered animals. Even if you don't have specialised training in trimming and sprucing up fancy dogs, you can still participate in this process by offering a dog-bathing service to friends, neighbours and elderly dog owners.

Pet Supplies

Surfing the Internet for pet supply stores will reveal a wide array of items that have been created to make animals' lives more pleasurable. Whether you agree with these frivolous shopping choices or not, the reality is that there is a market for supplying some of these products to dedicated pet-owners. With some creativity, you could even design and produce some of these pet gadgets locally.

Animal Shows

The entertainment options at most children's birthday parties tend to be very similar - inflated bounce-a-bouts and standard clown acts. If you have a pet whose quirks and actions usually bring joy to youngsters, how about creating a unique animal act? An exotic bird that talks or a dog that does cute tricks might provide you with a very engaging performance and an entertaining way to earn.

Pet Photography

Pets bring a lot of satisfaction to their owners, and many people form deep bonds with their animals. Some persons treat their pets just like children, and would be happy to preserve the memories of their pets for posterity. If you have a knack for photography and a little patience, you could provide a pet portrait service. Look for an online source for picture frames, key rings and other memorabilia that would complement your photos.

Pet Sitting / Boarding

One of the challenges for owners whose animals become part of their families is how to care for their pets when they have to leave home for long periods. Some house dogs even get agitated when their owners go off to work! Why not offer a pet-sitting service to take care of animals in their owners' absence? If you have the yard space, you could even provide a boarding facility for longer stays.

With a little creativity and a clear understanding of customer needs, you can create many other income sources from working with animals.

Copyright © 2010 Cherryl Hanson Simpson

Cherryl is a financial consultant and coach, and the founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services, Jamaica's number one source for practical, down-to-earth and independent answers for all questions relating to personal finance. Cherryl is currently writing her first book, The 3 Ms of Money. See more of her work at http://www.financiallysmartadvice.com and http://www.financiallysmartonline.com.