Animals are not human beings and do not have the same rights. This is obviously true, although there are some well-meaning vegetarians and animal lovers who seem to think we should behave towards animals as if they were human. I cannot agree with this. However, we have a responsibility to always look after animals and make sure they are not cruelly treated.

For thousands of years, animals such as oxen have been used to help us do heavy work, by ploughing fields for example, or in the case of donkeys and horses etc., by carrying large objects long distances. Without the help of animals it is difficult to believe that modern civilisation would exist. These days we do not always need animals to do such work any longer, but we still need animals for food. Even for most vegetarians cow's milk is an essential part of our diet. We should never let animals unnecessarily suffer, but we cannot easily avoid the use of animal products, since their meat provides us with essential protein.

Animal rights are therefore not the same as human rights. They do not have the right to existence if their meat is required for food; however, they do have the right to be slaughtered in a humane way. Animals which are not bred for food must be treated with kindness and do have the right to co-exist with humans. We should not destroy their natural habitat and take away their right to live naturally in the wild.