Singer’s work galvanized the modern movement, leading to direct-action groups like PETA (founded 1980) and eventually to more radical abolitionist groups like Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). The intellectual baton was then passed to Tom Regan, who argued that animals—specifically mammals over one year of age—are "subjects-of-a-life" with inherent value, beliefs, desires, and memory, making them bearers of moral rights.
From an animal rights perspective, the goal isn't just to make the cages bigger—it’s to empty them. This movement often advocates for: The abolition of animal testing in all forms. A shift toward plant-based diets (veganism). Singer’s work galvanized the modern movement, leading to
(access to fresh water and a healthy diet). This movement often advocates for: The abolition of
: Welfare standards are shifting from merely avoiding negatives (hunger, pain) to promoting positive welfare , such as the ability to engage in natural, pleasurable behaviors. : Welfare standards are shifting from merely avoiding
These cases signal a slow but definite shift toward "political rights" for animals, even if full moral rights remain distant.
Regan argued that animals are "subjects-of-a-life." They have beliefs, desires, memory, and a sense of the future. Because they have inherent value, they cannot be used as a means to an end—human dinner, a new lipstick, or a lab result.
Animal welfare and animal rights are often used interchangeably, but they represent fundamentally different philosophies regarding the relationship between humans and animals.