c. 14000 – 1960s: The domestication of animals occurred long before the civilisation of mankind, but it was only 3000 years ago when various religions started teaching their followers the idea of nonviolence towards all living beings, including animals. Apart from domestication, animals were also used for scientific and medical experimentations, for most people believed that animals did not have feelings. One of the first known pieces of animal protection legislation was passed in Ireland in 1635. Yet it was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that philosophers explored the idea of animal cruelty and countries started establishing animal-rights legislation.
| c. 14000-1000 BC | Domestication of animals begins with dogs and expands to other animals in various civilisations |
| 1000 BC- 700 | Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism teach ahimsa – the nonviolence towards all living beings In 100s, Greek medical researcher and philosopher Galen of Pergamon experiments on live animals, establishing vivisection as a widely used scientific and medical tool |
| Early 1600s | Philosopher and scientist René Descartes performs biological experiments on living animals, arguing that animals are machines without feelings |
| 1635 | The Parliament of Ireland passes one of the first known pieces of animal protection legislation, “An Act Against Plowing by the Tayle, and Pulling the Wooll Off Living Sheep” |
| 1641 | The Massachusetts Body of Liberties regulates against “Tirranny or Crueltie” toward domestic animals |
| 1780 | Philosopher Jeremy Bentham argues in “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation” for treatment of animals on the basis of their ability to feel pleasure and pain, famously writing, “The question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?” |
| 1824 | Richard Martin, Reverend Arthur Broome and William Wilberforce, founds the world’s first animal protection organisation, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) |
| 1835 | Britain passes its first Cruelty to Animal Act |
| 1847 | The term “vegetarian” is coined and the Vegetarian Society is founded in Britain |
| 1866 | The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is established |
| 1876 | Britain passes the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876, the first piece of national legislation to regulate animal experimentation |
| 1892 | Social reformer Henry Salt publishes “Animals’ Rights: Considered in Relation to Social Progress”, an early exposition of the notion of animal rights |
| 1923 | Intensive animal farming begins after Celia Steele raises her first flock of chickens for meat |
| 1944 | Donald Watson coins the word “vegan” and founds The Vegan Society in Britain |
| 1950 | The World Federation of the Protection of Animals (WFPA) is formed |
| Early 1950s | Willem van Eelen recognises the possibility of generating “in vitro” meat from tissue culture |
| 1955 | The first organisation to lobby for humane slaughter legislation, The Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL), in founded in the US |
| 1959 | The International Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPA) is formed |
| 1964 | British Parliament forms the Brambell Committee to investigate animal welfare, concluding that animals should be afforded the Five Freedoms: movement, grooming, get up, lie down, and stretch limbs |
1960s – Present: With the progression of modern society and the rise in global living standards, consumption of intensively farmed animal products has boomed worldwide. Because of this, many issues regarding animal cruelty have arisen, which in turn has led to the boost of various animal rights and welfare movements. In the past few decades, animal welfare reforms have gained traction as the public interest in animal welfare and rights have increased significantly. Alternatives to eating animals, such as adopting plant-based diets or researching on “in vitro” products have also become popular.
| 1966 | The American Animal Welfare Act is passed |
| 1970 | Animal rights activist Richard Ryder coins the term “speciesism” to describe the devaluing of nonhuman animals on the basis of species alone |
| 1971 | The United States Department of Agriculture excludes birds, mice, and rats from protection under the Animal Welfare Act |
| 1972 | The Government of India enacts a law called the Wild Life (Protection) Act |
| 1973 | The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is passed, and protects some US species that were in danger from overexploitation The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) is established to regulate global trade of wildlife |
| 1974 | The Council of Europe passes a directive requiring that animals be rendered unconscious before slaughter |
| 1975 | Peter Singer publishes “Animal Liberation”, forming a utilitarian argument for animal liberation, and a major influence on the animal movement |
| 1980 | Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco found People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) |
| 1984 | Tom Regan publishes “The Base for Animal Rights”, a highly influential philosophical argument that animals have rights |
| 1992 | Switzerland becomes the first country to include protections for animals in its constitution |
| 1997 | The European Union’s Protocol on Animal Protection is added to the treaty establishing the European Community |
| 1998 | The EU passes the “Council Directive 98/58/EC Concerning the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes”, which is based on a revised Five Freedoms, including freedom: from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, injury and disease, fear and distress, and to express normal behaviour |
| 2000-2009 | Bans on fur farming are instituted in the UK, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 2010 | EU Directive 2010/63/EU is the EU legislation “on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes” is passed, and is one of the most stringent ethical and welfare standards worldwide |
| 2013 | The EU bans testing cosmetics on animals |
| 2014 | India becomes the first Asian country to ban testing cosmetics on animals as well as imports of animal-tested cosmetics China lifts regulations for animal testing on cosmetic products produced locally |
We’ve come a long way since 16000 years ago, and we’re definitely moving in the right direction, but we’ve still got a long way to go.
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