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Article: Animals and the law: property, cruelty, rights.(In the Company of Animals)
- Article from:
- Social Research
- Article date:
- September 22, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 New School for Social Research. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In American society, the legal system is the predominant engine of public policy and, perhaps, moral suasion. It is therefore important for all people who are affected by animals--which is, of course, virtually everyone--to know something about how the law treats animals. If the law precludes appropriate ways of thinking about animals, we ought to know about it so that the law can be changed. On the other hand, if the law's general approach to animals is sound, the existing legal apparatus may provide a useful foundation for treating animals fairly.
This paper offers some basic information about how the American legal system deals with animals. This information is ...