Some Thoughts on the Rights of Animals 

It is not surprising that countless contradictions exist in man's relationship to animals, because never has there been a consistent humane principle to guide him in dealing with those dependent creatures who share his planet. What is surprising is that animals have been accorded any decent treatment at all, considering the overwhelmingly dominant attitude, from the earliest of times, that animals could be used, abused, and even tormented, at the utterly capricious will of man. Absent from the history of ideas has been even a semi-plausible notion to the contrary, let alone a defensible, fully integrated theory of animal rights.

 
The Care and Worth of Animals 

Once virtually unheard of, in the past two decades the number of civil lawsuits brought against veterinarians for negligent or intentional harm to companion animals has soared. Various reasons have been proffered for this phenomenon, among them the information explosion, a more litigious culture, a burgeoning literature on the subject, more lawyers willing to take such cases, the development of new causes of action, a greater awareness of the importance of companion animals to their caretakers’ quality of life, and a greater willingness on the part of legislatures and courts to treat seriously the harm to companion animals.

Conservatives and Animal Rights

This Report presents an excellent essay entitled "Animal Spirit: Respect for God's creatures should be a conservative impulse." This essay is reprinted from the November 9, 1998 issue of the NATIONAL REVIEW with hope that it will engage the thoughtful attention of many conservatives who until now have believed that biblical doctrine and concern for the well-being of animals were antithetical. 
 
 

Suffering vs. Profit: Veal Calves in the European Community 

As a subset of ISAR's unequivocal opposition to factory farming, ISAR has long deplored the barbaric treatment of countless veal calves--not only in the United States, but throughout the "civilized" world. Noel Sweeney, a British barister in Bristol, UK, has long been an animal rights activist and a loyal supporter of ISAR. In this Report, Mr. Sweeney reports on a regrettable decision of the Court of Justice of the European Communities which has subordinated humaneness to commerce.