"Granted these animals do not have all the desires we humans have, granted they do not comprehend everything we humans comprehend, nevertheless, we and they still have some of the same desires and we do comprehend some of the same things, the desires for food and water, shelter and companionship,freedom of movement and avoidance of pain. These desires are shared by non-human animals and human beings.
... As for comprehension, like humans, many non-human animals understand the world in which they live and move, otherwise they could not survive, so beneath the many differences there is sameness, like us, these animals embody the mystery and wonder of consciousness . Like us, they are not only in the world, they are aware of it. Like us, the are the psychological Centers of a life that is uniquely their own. In these fundamental respects, humans stand on all fours so to speak, with hogs and cows, chickens and turkeys, what these animals do for us, how we morally treat them, are questions who's answers begin with the recognition of our psychological kinship with them."-Earthlings
