Animal Protection in Light of Modern Legal Thought and Islam

Abstract

Animals possess certain rights like human beings including the right to life, liberty, health, well-being and reasonable abode. So far only right to life of animals has been given due consideration, but unlike other inanimate objects, animals are emotional and intelligent beings who also deserve dignity and respect. Sometimes, animals are killed without any reason which violates their right to life and some of them never see outdoor except on their way to slaughterhouse including chickens, pigs and cows, which violates their right to liberty. Business has been cited as justification, but mistreatment should be stopped at any cost by way of minimizing the use of animals for industrial purposes and reducing their pain and suffering during this process. Available legislations focus on the right to life of animals while other rights including the right to liberty, dignity and health are ignored. Whereas being emotional and intelligent being, animals are entitled for all other rights associated with them like human beings. Therefore, it is imperative that all other rights available for animals should also be protected. The paper argues that animals do possess certain rights that are available to human beings and also intends to focus on the rights of animals on the basis of their emotional and intelligent characteristics using doctrinal and socio-legal research methodology. The paper further intends to provide a comprehensive framework of all the rights of animals that are ignored under available legislations and shall also suggest possible measures to implement the same.