Animal welfare refers to the physical and psychological well-being of animals, encompassing their living conditions, health, and treatment. Animal rights, on the other hand, advocate for the inherent rights of animals to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion, and to be free from exploitation and cruelty.
Most people, in practice, hold a mixed view. We might oppose dogfighting (rights-adjacent) while eating a hamburger (welfare-adjacent). The challenge is consistency.
However, that is changing. In recent years, we have seen a legal shift toward recognizing sentience:
Drainage Peterborough