It’s Time To Re-evaluate Our Relationship With Animals: Lesli Bisgould at TEDx Talks, TEDx UofT
“Why are our laws not protecting animals? According to the law, animals are still deemed “things” or “property,” and therefore because they are “things” or “property,” the law does not legally protect them and consequently facilitates the systematic and systemic suffering of animals in a variety of industries.” Our laws are useless in protecting animals from suffering and cruelty, and are no longer protecting animals from human-caused suffering.
What are the morally relevant differences between humans and other animals, that make it acceptable to hurt them in ways that it would never be acceptable to hurt one another? It’s time to classify animals differently in order to protect them. Why is it time for us to re-evaluate our relationship with animals? The future is for us to establish the right for animals to have their fundamental interests respected. It may require changing their status from “property” to legal “person”. Because animals are sentient as humans are sentient, and this way they will have legally protected interests as they deserve to.”
About Lesli Bisgould
Lesli Bisgould is Canada’s first animal rights lawyer. For ten years, she acted for individuals and organizations in a variety of animal-related cases in the only practice of its kind in the country. She has fought for the rights of students who objected to dissection in science class, for critics of facilities where animals are held captive, and for changes in the law to ameliorate the legal status of animals.
Lesli is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s faculty of law where she instructs a course on animals and the law. She is the author of “Animals and the Law,” the only Canadian law text on the subject, published by Irwin Law. Lesli was the 2012 international law lecturer for Australian animal protection institute, Voiceless – she undertook a 12-stop lecture tour of Australia, comparing the commercial hunts for seals in Canada and kangaroos in Australia. In recent years, Lesli’s full-time work has been in the human rights and poverty law fields, and she is currently the Barrister at Legal Aid Ontario’s Clinic Resource Office.
From “Property” to Legal “Personhood”
It’s time to establish the right to have their fundamental interests respected, when we consider taking actions that affect them. Time to change their status from “property” to legal “persons.” Then, and only then, will they have legally protected interests.
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