The difference between the Animal Welfare and Animal Rights movements are that the former criticizes cruelty but does not see meat-production, fishing, dairy farming or egg production, for example, as needless. Animal Rights, in contrast, asserts that animals are not merely subjects to be treated and disposed of at our whim, but that they are sentient creatures and deserve to live lives free from mental and emotional suffering as much as possible. Closely related philosophies surround vegetarianism and veganism.
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