In 200 Years Of Animal Welfare Concerns, Cruelty Remains A Significant Issue

No surprise for me.. sapiens hardly change leave alone moral progress. 

It breaks my heart to see how many different version of Max in other animals suffer in hands of sapiens. 

The research, published in a book, Animals in World History, due out next year, shows that instead of steady progress to eliminate animal cruelty, the priorities of animal welfare organisations have instead evolved to tackle new and emerging problems that reflect the changing attitudes of humans towards animals.

Dr Cowie highlights for example that in the 1820s the emphasis was on the elimination of blood sports such as bull and bear baiting and in the late 19th century, concern extended to the mistreatment of performing animals and the exploitation of wild animals for fashion.

With the arrival of factory farming in the mid-twentieth century, the priorities changed once again, giving rise to campaigns against substandard living conditions, live transport and inhumane slaughter methods. 

Relationship with animals

Professor Cowie said: “Examining our relationship with animals throughout history can identify the lessons that we can learn from to improve the lives and welfare of animals today.  What we find, looking back, is that although our relationships with animals have changed, cruelty and welfare issues are still as much of a concern today as they were 200 years ago.

“What we tend to find is that cruelty to animals today is less ‘obvious’ than it was in the past and better hidden from public view, particularly in the food industry. 

“Studying the history of human-animal relationships also reveals that many practices that we think of as ‘traditional’ or longstanding, are actually comparatively recent in origin, and can be traced to a specific place or time. 

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Change is possible

Professor Cowie suggests that there are lessons we can learn from the successes in the past, and that change is possible: “I think one major takeaway is that progress in the field of animal welfare has often been slow and contentious, but that change can happen with patience and perseverance. The first animal welfare law in Britain took over two decades to enact, but it happened eventually when public attitudes changed. 

“The Pacific fur seal suffered a severe population decline in the late-nineteenth century when it was hunted by US and Canadian sealers for its fur, but following the signing of the Pacific Fur Seal Convention in 1911, however, outlawing the killing of seals at sea, seal numbers quickly rebounded. 

“So while things often seem bleak for animals, we shouldn’t despair – attitudes can change and animal populations can recover, but it takes time and determination”. 

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