Theoria

There has been an increase in traffic to my post “The Meaning of Humane,” largely from this site, and I just wanted to remind readers–given that the terms “animal welfare” and “animal rights” are no doubt going to be thrown around far too much and almost always used incorrectly with the coming seal hunt–that the Toronto Humane Society is not an “animal rights” organization. Like the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, it subscribes to the “animal welfare” view. The sole difference between the two is in the interpretation of what I call “the never the worst for being dead” principle. Until the OSCPCA takeover, the THS appears to have held that no animal should be killed for reasons of space or finance and that sick or injured animals should be given a chance to heal and that behaviorally challenged dogs should not be killed upon admission. This view is in stark contrast to the daily operations of OSCPA branches and affiliates.

In unrelated news, in the coming weeks I’ll be posting reviews of Andrew Linzey’s Why Animal Suffering Matters (sorry for taking so long, Andrew!), Stanley Cavell et al’s Philosophy & Animal Life, Piers Beirne’s Confronting Animal Abuse, and Paolo Cavalieri’s The Death of the Animal. My book buying budget is taped out for near future, but if Jean Kazez or her publisher wishes to send me a copy of Animalkind or Cary Wolfe and his publisher wishes to send me a copy of What is Posthumanism?, I am looking forward to reading them.