Public Awareness of Animal Rights

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Public Awareness of Animal Rights
Animal rights encompass a large range of scenarios such as medical testing, use in entertainment such as zoos or circuses, and abusive or negligent owners. This essay will present a thesis that public awareness can affect animal rights in a very real and meaningful way.
History of Animal Rights
Before discussion of public awareness and sensitivity vis-à-vis animal rights, it is prudent to provide a concise history of the topic in America. In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was formed. Some of the early triumphs associated with organization are lobbying for the passing of anti-cruelty laws for animals used in gambling, such as bull and cock fights as well as horse beating (“American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals”). By 1908, there were 185 anticruelty organizations promoting and stimulating public awareness of humane treatment of animals (Pearson 3-4). Early nineteenth century anticruelty reformers maintained that abuse of children and animals would affect the “character and habits that...

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