Animal welfare or welfare is an area that has been assigned a task, especially by practitioners in accordance with social needs. On the other hand, animal welfare is an issue that concerns all areas and people related to animals. Any kind of work carried out on the subject will continue as long as people have a “need” for animals. Considering that the needs of humans and other animal species for each other as parts of the world ecosystem will not end (although human’s contribution to the functioning of the world ecosystem is unknown), it is not difficult to say that studies on this topic will not end either; and let all the questions remain unenlightened!
Human behavior is shaped by cultural and moral influences rather than human biology. Although philosophers agree that people have to create moral values about their environment, they can put forward different ideas about the method. In other words, the moral system is unique to people and can be understood by people. People’s thoughts and behaviors about animals should also be considered within this scope. Our current knowledge is that man is a living being who needs both plant and animal products to sustain his life. In other words, until proven otherwise, humans are classified as omnivores in terms of nutrition systematics. In this sense, it can be predicted that human-animal interaction will continue, at least in the sense of taking advantage of animals. This prediction brings with it the necessity of systematizing our human attitude towards animals.
No living species on Earth has a “superiority” over another species. This also includes people. However, species have different biological abilities from each other. The biology of each species as a whole regulates its relationship with another species. As is known, this phenomenon enters the research field of ecology. Ecology includes man as a living being. The most important feature that makes humans biologically different from other species is their developed cerebral abilities. This ability gives a person the opportunity to satisfy his hunger, which is also a biological need, by raising plants and animals.
Both the philosophy of animal protection and its application embodied in the law in this sense reveal that we need to guarantee the welfare of animals. Although animal welfare theory has its roots in philosophy, it is fed entirely from positive sciences in terms of welfare indicators and analyses. With a clearer definition, the question of why we need animal welfare is a philosophical discussion, and how to ensure animal welfare is a scientific activity. In this regard, it can be said that the scientific discipline of animal welfare is focused on the definition of an “animal’s well-being state”.
Our biological abilities impose a responsibility on us to take into account the destinies and judgments of future generations about us, which will be affected by our current practices. Because, again, as a result of human biological competence, each of the living species with which they share the Earth deserves to be treated in accordance with their biology. For these reasons, man should continue his research on the biology and upbringing of animals. Beyond that, the differences in human perception of different animal species also affect both the philosophical and the scientific approach. It is believed that this issue should also be addressed on its own in a multifaceted way.