“The Cruelest Show on Earth!”, “Be an ele-friend… Boycot the circus” “Free Willy” read most handwritten, home-made signs “animal lovers” at PETA enjoy crafting on their spare time while wearing their new snake skin shoes and having a 16oz stake at a fancy restaurant. Animal rights concerns have always been a major ethical issue all over the world. Zoos, aquariums, conservation facilities, but mostly companies which use animals for entertainment purposes, receive the harshest critiques regarding the welfare of the animals they care for. This paper will pose the dilemma regarding animal rights, what entertainment companies like Sea World and Feld Entertainment have been done to protect them and why the word captivity, in some cases, may not always as negative as it sounds.

PETA are initials standing for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The organization advocates for ethical treatment of animals and is against animals being used for entertainment, experiments, eating or even being used in any other way that they deem abuse. The act of putting animals into captivity is capturing the animals and restringing them for purposes of using them for entertainment or another service. In the captivity, the animals are provided with food and other needs. Extinction refers to the state of ending of a particular species of animals. That is to say the species ceases to exist, for example, due to misuse by human beings.The issue of holding animals captive in zoos and aquariums is a controversial one. However, animals can be used for entertainment and this serves as an economic activity, creating millions of jobs, and at the same time generating income for the country. Further, when these animals are held in captivity, they are well taken care of, and they are provided with food. Releasing them into the wild to fend for them can lead to the extinction of some species.

Using animals for entertainment comes with benefits. Animals have been used for entertainment since the time immemorial. An example is the roman chariot. Using them brigs a sense of enjoyment to people, and it can be a symbol of authority. The Christian Bible records that Jesus rode on a donkey as he entered Jerusalem. This is an indication that animals can be used to symbolize authority. Further, using animals for sporting and entertainment is advantageous because people they create employment and generate income. In addition, if these animals are left in the jungle, they can only be destroyed by the others and can even lead to extinction. Promotion of culture also occurs through sporting activities with animals like bull-fighting.Restricting animals in zoos and aquariums, further, helps to save endangered animal species from extinction. If such efforts are not carried out, some species of some animals would cease to exist. There are several factors that lead to extinction of these species. Firstly, some animals feed on the others. Secondly, drought cases eliminate some animals from the ecosystem. Thirdly, some die from disease. Lastly, climate change affects the existence of some animals.

The issue of food is taken care of when animals are kept by the entertainment companies. These companies also go an extra-mile and give the animals a balanced diet, maintaining their health. The companies shield their animals from their predators, thus ensuring their security is guaranteed. Further, the companies treat the animals that may be suffering from any disease.On the other hand, people against use of animals for entertainment have provided accusations against the entertainment companies. They argue that using animals for sports and entertainment is demeaning to human beings, and is an indication of misusing responsibility to take care of the animals. They further connote that animals are treated in a cruel manner, which inflicts pain to them, since they have feelings just like human beings. In the zoo, wild animals are kept in tiny cubicles, yet they are naturally created to live in a free environment where they can exercise all their tricks. This appears to be mistreatment to these animals.

In relation to taking animals and restricting them in the zoos and aquariums, this is an act that has been labeled as being very inhuman. The opponents of this practice argue that animals have emotions like human beings. They also connote that animals have rights, and they have feelings. For these reasons, animals should be accorded their own freedom. The moment these animals are captured and kept to the zoo, an end of their freedom occurs.The entertainment companies are said to be performing a very good job of feeding animals that would have been starving in the wild. However, they have been faulted by animal rights activists that their main aim is to make money from the animals. These activists argue that animals should not be misused in the act of making money for a group of people. Instead, they should be left to live a natural life in the wild.

Although there are arguments and counterarguments concerning this subject, it is important to note that keeping animals has benefits to them. For example, animal-entertainment companies are being accused of making money with the animals. In the real sense, the money these companies make goes to financing the needs of these animals in terms of food, drugs, security, and many other supplies.The animal rights activists seem very right to argue that animals are denied of their freedom when kept in activity. To some extent, this seems reasonable. This is because some conditions are very uncomfortable for these animals. In this case, only animals born in captivity should be kept in captivity. This is because they have not been subjected to the natural environment, and may thus not feel the difference.When these animals are captured and restricted at the zoos, the entertainment companies try their best to provide good living conditions for them. It is pointed out that both SeaWorld and Field Entertainment use huge amounts of money to provide food to the animals, as well as, rescuing efforts of the endangered species of the animals. Conservation of these animals also requires huge chunks of money.From the discussion, it is evident that; even though animal entertainment companies make some money from the animals’ entertainment, they spend much of the money in activities geared to helping the animals. Further, if these animals are left at the mercy of nature, most of them would have been eliminated by their counterparts.

In conclusion, entertainment companies, zoos, and other animal-keeping sanctuaries strive their best to provide the best living conditions for them. The statements made by animal rights activists are unfounded. If these animals are just left in the wild, they would be eliminated by droughts and their counterparts. In the case of the animal rights activists, one would wonder whether they eat meat, wear leather, buy fur, and also attend to performances by the animals.

Topic: Animal rights
Order Description
Essay Writing II: Argumentative Essay

Overview
Arguments are made in every piece of writing, from arguing about why a new business practice should be adopted to arguing about the main theme of a literary text. This assignment asks you to examine a topic in detail and pick one side to argue. As well as using different styles of rhetoric, you should employ counter-arguments and rebuttals to strengthen your claim.

Instructions
• Write a 1,000-1,200 word essay on an issue connected to ANIMAL RIGHTS.
• Remember that you need an argument and a thesis statement that includes specific context information. You must have one main topic and at least three subtopics. These should prove why your argument is correct.
• Use at least two of the sources from the list below.
• Order your work according to the outline created in class and make sure your paragraphs are linked together with transitions.
• Include a counter-argument that you can then argue against.
• Be sure to construct a logical argument (following a logical pattern and using at least two of the persuasive strategies covered in class) and avoid common fallacies (as covered in class).
• Remember that each body paragraph must include a relevant topic sentence (containing key words), your evidence, a citation, an explanation of your evidence and a link to your thesis statement.
• Marks will be taken away for common spelling and grammar mistakes, so use the editing skills learned in class to correct all fragments and run-ons.
• Include an introduction and conclusion that fit with your topic.
• Follow APA style and check you have a cover page, a header on each page, correct formatting and accurate in-text citation.
• Include a References page.

Sources
• At least two print sources.
• At least two sources from the list. You may also use any other sources that fit with your topic. However, you must remember that your evidence should be accurate, reliable and clearly-explained.
• BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/rights/moralstatus_1.shtml
• New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/magazine/the-rights-of-man-and-beast.html
• David Foster Wallace: https://www.columbia.edu/~col8/lobsterarticle.pdf
• Peter Singer: Do Animals Feel Pain?
Format
• APA style, with headers, correct information on the cover page, double spacing, in-text citation and a References page.
• Submit on SafeAssign and hand your teacher a hard copy of your paper on the due date.

Due dates: Outline: 2nd March (MW) / 3rd March (UTR)
1st draft: 16th March (MW)/17th (UTR)
2nd draft: 23rd March (MW) / 24th March (UTR)
Final draft: 28th March (MW) /29th March (UTR)

Argumentative Essay Rubric

Element
Excellent
Satisfactory
Needs Improvement
Points
4
3
2
1
0
Organization

There is a logical sequence of information.
Introduction, thesis statement, topic sentences, paragraph support, and conclusion are effective.
There is some logical sequence of information.
Organizational elements are present though not entirely effective.
There is little or no logical sequence of information.
Organizational elements are missing or weak.
/4
Design

Paper demonstrates correct APA format and documentation, including heading, paper format, in-text parenthetical citations, and References page
Most elements of APA format and documentation are in place, but may be missing some elements
Little to no attempt has been made to construct paper using APA standards of formatting and documentation.
/4

Content

Document covers topic completely and in depth.
Information is clear, appropriate, and accurate. Evidence is strong and well documented.
Document includes some essential information.
Some information is somewhat confusing, incorrect, or flawed. Support is general or poorly documented.
Document includes little essential information.
Information is confusing, inaccurate, or flawed. Evidence is missing or very weak.
/4

Language

Spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation are accurate.
Fluent and effective writing style. Use of academic (but not unnecessarily wordy) language.
There are minor problems in spelling, grammar and punctuation. There may be one or two fragments, run-ons or contractions. Style may be somewhat conversational or informal.
There are persistent errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.
There may be many fragments, run-ons or contractions. Style may be very conversational or informal.
/4

Effectiveness

Ideas were communicated clearly and appropriately for the audience. Document meets all requirements of an effective essay.
There was some difficulty communicating ideas to the intended audience. Document meets requirements of essays, but there are deviations from standards.
There was great difficulty communicating ideas to the intended audience. Document does not meet requirements for essays.
/4