While some people believe that humans must utilize animals in satisfying their many needs, others argue that animals should be treated equally as people. I believe that while animals must be respected, we must recognize that they are useful in many areas of life.
On the one hand, it is believed that animals contribute to the overall wellness of our planet and thus, deserve the same rights as people. If animals contribute to making our environment more conducive, then they do not deserve to be used for food or in laboratory experiments. For example, bees pollinate many crops consumed by humans worldwide. Consequently, because we would lack many crops if they did not exist, they do not deserve to be exterminated.
On the other hand, many think that the use of animals for food and research is necessary to the advancement of the human race. If animals could not be consumed or experimented on, then people would lack the necessary nutrition to be industrious and many diseases would have no cures. To illustrate, horse blood is required in the production of many types of antivenom on a global scale. Because of the sacrifices of these horses, many people have been spared death from snake bites.
In my opinion, we must learn to respect animals while utilizing them for our various needs. We can learn to use animal products and labour in more humane ways. For example, it has been shown that ethical fishing has promoted the growth of healthier fish in various water bodies. Although we do not lack fish for consumption when we do this, we also do not ravage the local fish population.
In conclusion, while some believe that animals should have equal rights as humans and others believe that animals need to be used indiscriminately for our benefit, I think a balance between the two is necessary. We should learn to utilize animals in respectful and ethical ways.