Should Animals Have Rights?

Do animals have rights, or should we promote their humane treatment in a different way? Humans domesticated animals thousands of years ago, and they’ve been intimately linked with us ever since. Most of them would not exist without our involvement. What responsibilities do we humans have towards the animals we keep?

Having worked and volunteered as a large animal veterinarian in the US and in other, very different places, Dr. Howard (Howdy) Miller, DVM will offer his perspectives as we consider these issues. He graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1968 and worked at three different practices before founding Bear Creek Animal Clinic in Ashland in 1976.  Since his partial retirement in 2004 he has volunteered, through Christian Veterinary Mission, assisting village farmers in India and China to increase the health of their herds. He has also served on Jackson County’s Animal Control Advisory Committee.

Many of us think of companion animals as family members, but the perspectives of farmers, ranchers and modern large agricultural corporations would likely be very different. Should animals have legal rights? If so, how should we go about determining what they are? If domestic animals aren’t legally regarded merely as property, what should their status be? Should the humane treatment of animals should be based on concepts other than legal rights?

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Please contact Tony Davis (tonydavis0@gmail.com) wth your questions about this event.