Animal welfare and the law

Animal welfare’s evolution indicates humanity’s changing attitudes toward the treatment of animals. From its roots in Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy emphasizing the avoidance of suffering as a moral imperative to its inclusion in modern legislation and policy, animal welfare’s journey is marked by legal and scientific milestones, as well as ethical discussions about our treatment of animals. The advancement from rudimentary notions of humane treatment to comprehensive standards encompassing physical health, emotional well-being, and behavioral freedoms reflects a growing recognition of animals as sentient beings with specific interests that require legal recognition and adequate enforcement, alongside overcoming industrial animal agriculture’s relentless lobbying against these advances and the transition to a plant-based diet.