Should Animals Have The Same Rights As Humans?

Recently in the news here in NC there is a story about a woman who is being charged with firing a weapon in the city limits in order to save her child from attack from a dog. The dog died later, and an issue was brought up about her leaving the dog to die & taking her child to the hospital. She is not being charged with killing the dog, or any animal abuse related charges that I am aware of, but this has opened up debate among some people as to whether or not she should be?

I'm going to make my question/point short & sweet... when did we as humans start valuing the life of a dog (or any animal) over that of another human?

Lets talk about dogs. The modern Dog is by all intensive purposes a "man made" creation. Humans started playing with the dog gene pool (through breeding techniques) several thousand years ago. Humans needed hunting machines to improve their own hunting abilities (and for herding). Once they opened that "can of worms" as they say, they started to play around with other ways to create new & improved dog breeds for other purposes. As their needs evolved, so did breeds of dog.

Dogs evolved on their own as well, in part to the relationship between man and dog. There is recent evidence to show that the relationship between man & dog developed as many as 30,000 years ago. So there is no question that the dog is an important part of the human society, but are we really to the point where a dog's life is more valuable than a humans?

Humans have evolved in such a way that we can now sustain ourselves with out the aide of animals like dogs or horses (dogs & horses are still used in hunting & herding, but this is more about recreation than actual need in most cases). In some cases humans have no need for animals at all, or for anything other than companionship. Then there are those who don't even want that.

Then you have the people who depend on an animal for living assistance, such as the blind & Seeing Eye dogs. To them a Seeing Eye dog can be a miracle. You also have what I like to call the "chronic hermit-Titus types." These are the people, due to whatever reason (mental illness, lack of trust in others, history of failed or abusive human relationships, out living human companions, etc) who can not live without their pet because their pet is their only companion.

Last you have the people who worship (or idolise) an animal as part of their religious (or cultural) beliefs. The most famous being the cow in Hinduism, the cat in ancient Egypt, and the spirit animals in the American Indian cultures, as well as many others through-out history.

Back in early American history I have read that a man could be shot for injuring or killing another mans horse. Back in those days the horse was man's only means of transportation, his means of farming & crop production, moving & lifting heavy supplies, etc.. So back then maybe the punishment fit the crime. I didn't live back then.

Now in the sense of livestock & food production I know this is a very sensitive subject for people who do not believe it is right to eat animals but.... I do not feel that an animal that is raise for food purposes should have any other rights than the right to health. Yes, it would be wrong for a human to be raised in confinement, forced to eat off the ground, thrown into a trailer, and hauled off to the slaughter house, but I don't eat HUMANS!

There is always a shade of gray with everything & this is no exception. I do not believe it is right to abuse, starve, or otherwise mis-treat (all of which could fall under the category of "health") a livestock animal, but when your talking about millions of animals being raised for food, they are no longer really an "animal" they are a food product. Sometimes they get sick, they fight, the weak or smaller ones don't get enough food or get preyed upon by the strong, etc.. This is exactly what happens in the wild! 

So my question/ point is, are we to that point in our society that our pets or animals in general should be able to have the same rights as humans?

I say no. I am a middle aged average American who for the most part views animals as lesser beings of intelligence than humans (now of course there are some humans that could be the exception to this rule). For the most part I see animals as another biological occurrence on this planet, much the same as plants. Some are unique, some are amazing, some are delicious (& some are not), some are useful, and some are meant to be left alone.

Now I do believe that it is our responsibility as humans to save & protect those animals who are on the verge of extinction, are hurt, or suffering. I believe this because I believe that humans are capable of doing what is right. I do not believe that animals can choose right from wrong. We know for a fact that they can be trained, but by that they are being trained by a human who is choosing right from wrong (or wrong from right) for them. The fact is, animals have survival instincts, & you can train them (some of them) to do whatever you want but you can never remove these instincts.

I think humans should finish what they started in the way of human rights before they start putting animals on a pedestal over humans. There are just as many hurt, dying, sick, hungry, homeless, and mis-treated humans on this planet as there are animals. I truly feel it is petty for a human to talk about an animal as though it was human or even as important as a human.

Bottom line is, there is a problem with the way of thinking in our society when; a person would spend thousands of dollars on a specific breed or spend thousands of dollars to save a dying pet when they could solve more problems with their money by going to the animal shelter & adopting another pet & making a donation to the local homeless shelter or soup kitchen or even the animal shelter (anywhere really), or when a dog owner can sue another person for killing their dog because it attacked them, or when a human mother can be condemned by others for killing a dog in defense of her own child!