In order to study decompression sickness (the bends) sheep are placed in a hyperbaric chamber and subjected to decreasing air pressure, nitrogen bubbles form in their blood stream, which causes pain and injury to various body parts and organs – the air pressure is reduced until the animal dies at which point a necropsy is performed to study the organs that failed in this process. People choose to submerge themselves into the ocean depths to study sea creatures, drill for oil and because it is there – but if we choose to put ourselves at risk is seems that any such experiments should be done on those humans that do so. Sheep are peaceful, grazing animals that can provide us with milk, wool and meat so whose bright idea was it to torture them in this manner – and why do we choose to let this continue.

Beauty products are the embodiment of vanity. We cream and color and scent ourselves all for the sake of embellishing our exterior. We do this at a considerable cost for many species of animals. Animal testing on cosmetics and other beauty and styling products is antiquated and totally unnecessary but none-the-less continues today. Purposefully irritating the mucous membranes and overdosing animals to discover a product’s toxicity level happens everyday and on products that have already been tested many times over. So when is the cost too high? Can we really look that good on the outside when inside we choose to turn a blind eye on such terrible acts?

Shark fin soup is a delicacy that has increased in popularity as China’s middle class has become more affluent. The process of shark finning consists of catching any one of a number of shark species, removing the fin while the shark is still alive and throwing the shark back into the water. Without fins the sharks cannot swim so they sink to the bottom of the ocean and die a slow and painful death. Certainly no one needs to eat shark fin soup – this is a developed taste and a symbol of increasing status and wealth. Humans choose to decimate a species in order to serve dinner as well as their ego.

People choose to obtain pets for companionship – sharing a life with a dog, cat, hamster, bird or goldfish can be a very rewarding existence – indeed I cannot conceive of a life that was empty of my animal friends. Pets, too, benefit from such human interaction. Regular meals, exercise, a warm bed and lots of love can only be a good thing. But many people choose to embellish their lives with animals for other reasons. Big dogs become status symbols as well as income from fighting, horses become transport of ego and money, primates, exotic snakes and big cats bestow a strange sense of being unique to those that procure such animals for personal property and even dogs and cats too often find their way into neglect and abuse. We choose to obtain all such creatures – there are no laws in place that require a dog in every yard, a cat in every house or a monkey in every parlor. So if we choose to become guardians of these beasts why do then so many find themselves homeless?

A news report from the “Science Daily” indicates that research has proven that mice react to pain by exhibiting a grimace when subjected to painful stimuli. Considering the conclusion of such experimentation I must hope that the experiments have been halted – if mice feel pain and show this to be so then we need to stop causing them pain – makes sense to me at least. But the broader picture of such conclusions is that we must stop subjecting and enslaving animals for our own needs – no longer can we justify any sort of action toward an animal that causes it pain because we assumed that the “lesser” species do not feel and/or acknowledge pain as we do. Those people that have spent their lives caring for animals already know this – those that have used animals to advance human need and desire must now come to terms with this – we must choose to end suffering since this a choice we can clearly make.

Animals grieve loss, nurture and protect their young, are aware enough to fight for their own survival, use tools, fear the unknown and without question feel pain. Sounds more like us than not. If we “choose” to continue to induce suffering of any species for the sake of our own amusement and advancement I believe that we are the true embodiment of a “lesser” species – please for all of our sakes choose wisely and become a conscientious consumer as well as a responsible caretaker – our animal friends are at our mercy so mercy they should be given.