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We're using animals

It depends what kind of use the animals are getting, if it's something like testing consumer products on them, then I think they're not getting anything in return and are only used for a company's own gain, therefore they're just abused.

However, I think using animals in instances like service animals, police K-9, etc. is a good thing, they're usually well taken care of for the most part and are loved unconditionally by their human(s)
 
Pets are really hard to judge as the number of pets that are loved and well taken care of are competing against the vast amount of pets that are abused and improperly cared for. This is also burdened by the vast amount of problems that the pet trade has created in terms of invasive species and such.

Service animals are very much like human lives where you get a job and are rewarded for that job. And I'd say most live above the standard of their wild relatives while doing this job by a huge margin.

Food animals are hard to judge as many of them live long and happy lives until they become food and are generally killed humanely vs getting attacked and fed on in the wild. This is obviously a highly debatable subject and has the dark side of factory farms and other problems that really are not defendable in the subject of animal care.

Animal testing is something that is always going to be a hot topic issue and I think it is safe to say that it is not for the benefit of the animal.

Overall, I'd say that animals get the short end of the stick, but there is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel as many animals live better lives than in the wild and many of the negatives are becoming culturally or even legally wrong. At the same time, human-raised animals are doing very well in the terms of numbers and species as you don't see cows, dogs, cats, etc. on the extinction list and probably never will unless humans are also on that list. Granted, this is a bit of a grey area as humans saving animals from the extinction that humans would have caused is an odd podium to stand on.
 
Food animals are hard to judge as many of them live long and happy lives until they become food and are generally killed humanely vs getting attacked and fed on in the wild. This is obviously a highly debatable subject and has the dark side of factory farms and other problems that really are not defendable in the subject of animal care.
Correction: Close to all animals that end up becoming our dinner live horrible lives way below the minimal standards set by even the most conservative animal rights organization. Full lives spent in tiny booths that barely fit the animal, placed on top of a hard concrete floor and without ever experiencing sunlight is the complete and full summary of millions of livestock animals' lives. The more "humane" way of raising livestock that you describe is reserved for only a tiny selection of animals, and is often the case for animals ending up on the plate in Michelin restaurants and the like.

Also, it is not a question of either spending life in the wild or in a farm for these animals. Domesticated pigs or cows or chicken wouldn't be in the wild if they weren't being prepared for slaughter, they simply would never have been born in the first place. Nevertheless, to humor your point: getting attacked and eaten in the wild means exactly the same result as with livestock, with the exception of the animal living a life prior to its death in accordance with their needs, with free mobility and with freedom to pursue their instincts.
 
Correction: Close to all animals that end up becoming our dinner live horrible lives way below the minimal standards set by even the most conservative animal rights organization. Full lives spent in tiny booths that barely fit the animal, placed on top of a hard concrete floor and without ever experiencing sunlight is the complete and full summary of millions of livestock animals' lives. The more "humane" way of raising livestock that you describe is reserved for only a tiny selection of animals, and is often the case for animals ending up on the plate in Michelin restaurants and the like.

Also, it is not a question of either spending life in the wild or in a farm for these animals. Domesticated pigs or cows or chicken wouldn't be in the wild if they weren't being prepared for slaughter, they simply would never have been born in the first place. Nevertheless, to humor your point: getting attacked and eaten in the wild means exactly the same result as with livestock, with the exception of the animal living a life prior to its death in accordance with their needs, with free mobility and with freedom to pursue their instincts.

With how popular factory farms are becoming, you are correct that the majority of meat comes from them. I guess it would be more appropriate to list it as less of a dark side of the industry and more of a very bad standard of the industry.
 
Animals that are privileged enough to be pets (and not food) get to be spoiled and have a good life (if they have a good owner).
 

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