In 2014, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) filed habeas corpus petitions on behalf of captive chimpanzees, arguing they were autonomous, self-aware beings unlawfully detained. While the NY Court of Appeals ultimately rejected the petition, it was the first time an appellate court considered a non-human animal for legal personhood.
In 2016, an Argentine court ruled that a captive orangutan named Sandra was a "non-human person" with the right to liberty, leading to her transfer to a sanctuary.
Where does this leave the average person? The moral landscape is confusing. Animal products are cheap and ubiquitous. Leather is durable. Medical research saves lives. In 2014, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) filed
The Animal Welfare Act (USA): The primary federal law in the U.S. regulating the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers. Note: It currently excludes birds, rats, and mice bred for research, as well as farm animals.
International Declaration of Animal Rights: There is currently no universal, binding United Nations treaty on animal welfare. However, many countries are enacting stronger laws: Human expansion threatens wild habitats globally
Human expansion threatens wild habitats globally.
Factory farming remains the largest arena of animal suffering. Over 70 billion land animals are slaughtered annually for food. Welfare reforms here include: arguing they were autonomous
Certification labels help consumers vote with their wallets: