Abstract
The British have long been concerned about animal welfare and were among the first to call for legislation on this subject. There are three main concepts reflecting different approaches to the topic:
- Conservation, which may be defined as the protection of wildlife and endangered species
-Animal welfare, which refers to the well-being of animals. Welfare activists call for the "best possible conditions" for animals, free from cruelty or unnecessary bodily harm.
- Animal rights, which covers conservation and animal welfare plus the more radical idea that animals should not be help in captivity (on farms, in zoos or in circuses) or eaten.
Animal rights activists are either vegetarians or vegans (i.e. they do not eat meat, fish, poultry, animal milk, cheese or eggs). The move to protect animals has led to the creation of cruelty-free products, i.e. products which have not been tested on animals.
