Species justice and harm to animals - Environmental Harm: An Eco-justice Perspective - page 133

other cases, the status of the species is defined in terms of biodiversity.
For example, for polar bears the key issue is that of extinction or
diminishment of habitation, associated with climate change (for
example, the melting of Arctic ice in ways that affect the environment
of the polar bear).
Different animal species are also valued in terms of general service
to humanity. This applies especially to companion animals such as
dogs and cats, but also, to some extent to domesticated animals used
for food such as chickens and cows. Here the key issue is not one
of preservation or conservation but prevention of abuse. It is animal
suffering and animal welfare that is of concern. The response of the
law and criminal justice system, therefore, is to regulate human-animal
interaction in ways that are welfare enabling for the animal, but that
do not necessarily challenge the logic of using animals in particular
kinds of human service.
The 'value' of animals is thus largely constructed according to
human interests, whether this is in regard to commercial benefit,
psychological wellbeing or safety and security. Indeed, the legitimacy
of harm to animals is subject to specific contexts and circumstances.
Harm is justified according to instrumentalism (for example, food, trade,
medicine, leisure), for the purposes of protection (for example, animal
attacks on humans), on the basis of national security (for example, navy
uses of sonar that have unintended harmful consequences for marine
animals), and for ecological and biodiversity management purposes (for
example, invasive species, bio-security). The status of a particular animal
may therefore also be subject to change. A dog that bites its master is
no longer a trusted companion but a threat; a mouse that escapes the
lab is now a pest to be eradicated not a tool in research; a racing horse
that goes lame in the leg may be destined for the glue factory if not
the stud farm. The situational use-value of animals therefore determines
its status - and frequently its individual fate.
Conclusion: measuring the value of animals
From the point of view of species justice, animals should be accorded
respect and acknowledgement as creatures embodying their own
intrinsic worth. This means carefully appraising the human-nonhuman
animal relationship and adjusting social practices to take into account
the welfare and rights of animals. Disagreement exists over how far to
go with this, and the types of interventions that are justifiable when it
comes to the lives of animals.