What is the difference between animal rights activists and animal welfare advocates?

Animal rights activists and animal welfare advocates share the common goal of making sure animals are treated humanely and with respect. However, they hold different views on the way animals should be treated. Animal rights activists believe animals should have the same rights as humans. According to this view, animals should have the right to bodily autonomy; they should not be bred for human consumption, used for experimentation or any other purpose. Animal welfare advocates, on the other hand, believe that animals should be treated humanely for their own benefit, but that they can still be used in certain situations, such as in medical research or for food production. In Indiana, animal rights activists and animal welfare advocates have both worked to pass laws that protect animals and ensure they are treated humanely. Animal rights activists have pushed for laws that make sure animals are not owned outright and cannot be bred, experimented on, or killed for food or clothing. Animal welfare advocates, meanwhile, have sought to put laws in place that protect animals from abuse, such as laws that require animals to be given proper veterinary care and that forbid certain cruel practices, such as declawing. In short, animal rights activists and animal welfare advocates share the same ultimate goal, but differ on the path to get there. Animal rights activists want to ensure animals are given the same rights humans have, while animal welfare advocates want to ensure animals are treated humanely and protected from abuse. Both perspectives have been instrumental in passing animal protection laws in Indiana.

What is the difference between animal rights activists and animal welfare advocates?

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