Respecting Animals: A Balanced Approach to Our Relationship with Pets, Food, and Wildlife

People “use” animals in a wide variety of ways like for food and clothing, research, to keep in zoos, and as companions where they become beloved friends and even members of the family. The way animals are treated in each of those situations encompasses a broad spectrum. What kind of treatment is ethical? There are some people who feel that any use of animals by humans is abuse; others, if they think of animals at all, understand them merely as objects for fulfilling human desire. However, if like most people, you find yourself somewhere in between, this book is for you. The lines are more blurred than you might expect and are extremely difficult to draw, but author David Favre offers a standard by which to judge any particular use, which comes down to respect.
Walking readers through the various uses and interactions between humans and animals, Favre’s musings will lead readers to a lot of introspection and examination of their own choices and actions. He is not necessarily calling readers to change how they act, but encourages them to make sure that their actions are thoughtful by recognizing that animals’ needs deserve consideration. The weights that will be given to each actor, animal and human, in any particular interaction, is highly dependent on context and probably cannot be decided unequivocally; the author makes no attempt to do so, but he proposes principles that will help guide those decisions. This book is a sensitive, extended essay, pondering important questions about how we treat our fellow-travelers on this earth, human and animal alike.