“Why make such a difference, from the point of view of sensitivity, between men and animals? (…) Why shouldn’t they have the same rights? (…) [H]hears a time – I regret to say that in many places it has not yet passed – in which most of our species, under the name of slaves, were treated by law on exactly the same footing as, for example, in England, the lower animal races are still treated today. The day may come when the rest of animal husbandry acquires those rights that should never have been taken away from them, were it not for tyranny. (…) The day may come when it will be recognized that the number of legs, the hairy skin, or the extremity of the sacrum are equally insufficient reasons to abandon a sensitive being to the same fate. What other factor could demarcate the dividing line that distinguishes men from other animals? Would it be the faculty of reasoning, or perhaps that of speaking? However, an adult horse or dog is incomparably more rational and more social and polite than a day, or week, or even month old baby. However, suppose the case were different: even in this hypothesis, what would be demonstrated with it? The problem is not whether the animals can reason; neither does it matter whether they talk or not; the real problem is this: can they suffer?”. WELCOME, 1979, p. 63.