RSPCA Animal Futures - Do animals deserve a voice in society?

The terms 'animal rights' and 'animal welfare' are often used interchangeably - but they can actually mean very different things. But what are animal rights, and how do they differ from good animal welfare? And what might a society that embraces animal rights look like, and is it realistic?

Broadcaster and journalist Kate Quilton chats to Dr Sean Butler, who lectures Animal Rights Law at Cambridge University; and is Director of the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law. He explains what animal rights are, how they differ from animal welfare, and why he thinks huge changes in how society and laws think about animals could be coming in the next 50 years.

She’s also joined by author and bioethicist Melanie Challenger, an RSPCA vice-president. Her work explores if, and how, animals can be represented in the process of making crucial decisions that affect their lives. Melanie’s 'Animals in the Room' project is a global collaboration, bringing together philosophers, scientists and others to consider and test models for the representation of non-humans in decision-making.


The Animal Futures podcast is part of the RSPCA Animal Futures Project, which explores five possible scenarios of what the world could be like for animals in 2050. People listening between 5 and 28 February or 17 March to 6 April 2025 can join The Big Conversation. After that, you can find out more by playing the interactive Animal Futures game.

Dr Butler's views are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law.

Host: Kate Quilton
Guests: Dr Sean Butler and Melanie Challenger
Produced by: Mark Adams, Chris O'Brien, Emily Prideaux and Jo Toscano.

Animal Futures Project: https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/latest/animalfutures
Animal Futures Game: https://www.rspca.org.uk/webContent/animalfutures/
Animal Futures: The Big Conversation: http://rspca.org.uk/bigconversation