[Opposing Views]

By Gary L. Francione, Rutgers University School of Law
...
Animal welfare—the notion that we should treat animals “humanely”—has
been around for 200 years. It has gotten nowhere. We are using more
animals now in more horrific ways than at any time in human history.

The 19th century founders of animal welfare opposed human slavery but
they never opposed the property status of animals because they thought
that although animals could suffer, they had no interest in their
lives. That is, animals do not care that we use them but only care
about how we use them. According to the welfarists, animals are not
self-aware and do not have an interest in continuing to live; they
only have an interest in not suffering a painful death.

So the welfarists of the 19th century did not advocate the abolition
of animal slavery as they advocated the abolition of human slavery.
Instead, they advocated that we have laws that require the “humane”
treatment of animals.

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full story:
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-animal-rights-movement-must-shed-its-animal-welfare-theory-r-1249257217