ABSTRACT
Western attitudes toward animals have undergone a gradual evolution, driven by the scientific recognition that humans and many other species share a common anatomical template, a common phylogenetic ancestry, and certain similarities in their social and emotional lives. According to the legends of the Ojibwa people of central North America, humans were able to inhabit the world because of the cooperation of animals, beginning with the turtle whose shell formed the base of the land, and the toad who carried soil up from the depths. In the West, the highly valued animal has been the domestic dog which is depicted in art and literature as a loyal, sympathetic, and intelligent helper to humankind. Our culture has two deeply rooted beliefs about the relationship between people and farm animals: a pastoralist ideal and an agrarian ideal. In the developed countries, the technological changes in animal agriculture have generally been accompanied by changes in farm structure and the sociology of rural communities.
