* Reducing suffering: Animal welfarists believe that animals deserve to live free from unnecessary suffering, pain, and distress.
* Providing good living conditions: This includes adequate space, food, water, and shelter, as well as opportunities for natural behaviors like play, exploration, and socialization.
* Preventing cruelty: Animal welfarists oppose any form of cruelty or abuse towards animals, whether physical or psychological.
Key Differences from Animal Rights Activists:
While animal welfarists and animal rights activists both advocate for animals, they differ in their views on animal rights:
* Animal welfarists believe animals have interests that should be considered and protected, but they generally don't believe animals have the same rights as humans. They focus on improving animal lives within the current system, such as advocating for better farming practices, promoting responsible pet ownership, and supporting animal shelters.
* Animal rights activists believe animals have inherent rights and that humans have no moral justification to exploit them for any purpose. They often advocate for eliminating the use of animals, such as abolishing factory farming, ending animal testing, and opposing the use of animals in entertainment.
In Summary:
Animal welfarists are concerned with improving the lives of animals by reducing suffering and promoting good living conditions. They generally work within the existing systems to achieve these goals.