ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the question of whether animals can be perceived to have higher moral standing when beneficial changes to their welfare are primarily for human wellbeing. This makes the animal a fortuitous bystander in the change process, as evidenced in the global move to close the cruel practice of live animal markets when blamed as the source of a global pandemic. The perception of animals as property is discussed within the context of the illegal exotic pet trade and the use of animal parts for medicinal or status reasons. Bear bile farming provides a case study of how the moral standing of animals is disregarded when specific parts of an animal’s body have perceived value to some humans. This chapter returns to the troubled middle of ethical obligations to animals in research and explores the grassroots organisations turning rehomed animal research subjects into unique individuals with emotional capacity. The ethical implications of genetically modifying animals for human transplants are examined.
