[lehighguy]

It really depends on how we classify animals philisophically.

If they exist somewhere inbetween an inanimate object and a human being then perhaps they are afforded some but not all of the rights a human is afforded.

Same for an unborn fetus. Until the fundamental question of wether something is alive, dead, partial/potential live and what rights each of those states affords them it is impossible to take a posistion on the issue.