Legal Rights for animals

Just watched a wonderful programme on BBC4 called unlocking the cage . An American lawyer is fighting for the legal rights of animals . Intelligent sentient beings to be recognised as animals not things .
He concentrated on Chimpanzees great apes and elephants in the programme .
Truly we humans treat our nearest cousins with horrible cruelty
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Re: Legal Rights for animals

We don't have a good track record, that's for sure.
Does BBC4 have a catch up thingemy jig?

I once watched a programme on the great beasts of Africa(gorillas mainly)and how they were portrayed as monsters that should be hunted and killed.

I can't for the life of me remember the name of the hunter, he killed a gorilla but once he'd looked into the eyes of the dead beast became an active animal welfare campaigner.

Re: Legal Rights for animals

It's been on the news this very morning about how drastically cases of dog theft have increased over the last three years. They were saying what us dog lovers have said for years, that the punishment for this crime is so useless until they change the law and stop viewing these animals as no different to a mobile phone theft.

Re: Legal Rights for animals

There was one case which I found incredible .
A pet went missing and was found years later it was microchipped .
The council ( who are responsible for lost dogs actually gave it to the people who had it )
What is the point of microchipping a pet if this happens.?

Re: Legal Rights for animals

We've had all this before Muddy, it's ridiculous. I remember posting about it now being compulsory to chip, yet DEFRA will not make it compulsory to scan - stupid situation.
Bodies found from RTA's and picked up by council workers are not scanned, so owners can spend months advertising and searching for their dogs.
There are also about 6 data bases to check, not just the Petlog one which is probably the most well known, and some people are not checking ALL the databases for the owner, they're only checking one.

Re: Legal Rights for animals

Sorry this link should have gone on the OP

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qOq7fbe2PZI

Re: Legal Rights for animals

Great idea....then we will give them the right to vote and the Americans will give them the right to bear arms.
I'm all for increased legislation to protect all animals, both captive and wild but until they can all read/write/speak etc. then legal rights are a nonsense.

Re: Legal Rights for animals

I hope that this becomes law .
No one should be able to imprison and abuse an intelligent sentient being for life just because they one of the master race.

Re: Legal Rights for animals

The bible says that 'man shall have dominion' over all the animals.

Re: Legal Rights for animals

Some view the keeping of pets as this Muddy.