Consider the case of . The Nonhuman Rights Project argued that Happy, a 51-year-old Asian elephant in the Bronx Zoo, was an autonomous cognitive being who deserved the right to bodily liberty (to be moved to a sanctuary). The New York Court of Appeals ultimately ruled against Happy, stating that granting rights to an elephant "would have an enormous destabilizing impact on modern society." That ruling perfectly encapsulates the tension: Rights would destabilize the economy of animal use; Welfare merely regulates it.

There are several philosophical perspectives on animal rights, including:

Today, we look at those practices with horror.

This position accepts that humans may use animals for food, research, companion ship, and entertainment. However, it mandates that humans have a moral obligation to prevent unnecessary suffering. It focuses on providing humane living conditions, proper nutrition, medical care, and swift, painless slaughter.

Prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.