Animal Confinement and Consciousness.

Today, when I was walking back to my townhouse, I saw a student come out of her car with a goldfish and a small bowl to keep it in. I wanted to ask her if she would like to live in such a small space but I refrained from doing so. Instead, I came back to my laptop to blog about it. Many people are uninformed as to what animals (especially fish) need in order to live comfortably and contently. Sure, some people would say that it does not matter because fish are not conscious of themselves or their surroundings. However, I do not think we could ever know what a fish is really thinking so I am just going to assume no one would want to live in a half gallon bowl. I am not against owning fish. I actually have a two year old beta who resides in my townhouse with me. Unless the world population organizes a revolt against breeding fish, then there is nothing we can really do besides give them a home and what they need. People just need to know how to care for their pets.

Animals and humans are different, but both deserve freedom and respect. Throughout history, there has never been an animal species that gave other animals so little space as humans do today. By confining animals to a specific designated space, they are not able to express their natural behavior. Some people do think, for obvious reasons, that putting a fence around a pasture to make sure the animals do not escape into the road is a reasonable action. Also, humans have a right not to be 'bothered' by animals that live next door or down the street. People expect others will keep their pets under control, their dogs on a leash, their fish in a tank, their cows in selected pastures, etc. In this sense, freedom is bound by borders but these borders are needed for legal reasons. But where is the limit as to how confined an animal/pet should be? If animals are truly conscious of themselves and can experience happiness, then they should have the right to their own property and space. After all, it is not in a dog's nature to be locked in a cage all day while his or her owner is at work. It needs to get exercise just like humans. The same goes for all animals. Humans do not like to be confined to only a certain space, so I raise the question as to whether animals should be confined and, if so, how much space is enough for them to experience and enjoy their lives?

My question to you is: Do you think human beings should have the right to confine animals? If so, how much space does an animal have the right to occupy?