A welfare reform saves millions of animals from misery right now . A ban on gestation crates helps 1 million sows this year. Abolition might take a century. The Abolitionist Strategy Groups like PETA (which, despite controversial tactics, holds an abolitionist position) and Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) argue that welfare reforms are a trap. By promoting "free-range" or "humane" labels, the industry co-opts the movement. Consumers buy "cage-free eggs" with a clean conscience, believing the hen had a lovely life—ignoring that the male chicks were still macerated at birth and the hens are still slaughtered at a fraction of their natural lifespan.
The most prominent philosopher in this field is (1938–2017), who argued that animals are "subjects-of-a-life." They have inherent value, beliefs, desires, memory, and a sense of the future. Therefore, they possess inherent value that is not contingent on their usefulness to humans. A welfare reform saves millions of animals from
The logical conclusion of animal rights is . A rights advocate believes we must end the domestication of animals for food, the use of animals in circuses and rodeos, the keeping of animals in zoos (except for genuine rescue or conservation sanctuaries), and the use of animals in product testing. The Abolitionist Strategy Groups like PETA (which, despite
The core tenet of animal welfare is not the abolition of animal use, but the humane treatment of animals within that use. An animal welfare advocate does not necessarily demand that everyone becomes vegan; rather, they demand that a pig raised for bacon has enough space to turn around, that a laying hen has a perch to sleep on, and that a laboratory mouse receives pain relief during a procedure. The most prominent philosopher in this field is