Animal Rights

[Janice]

Do animal owners have any rights if someone kills their pet?

[Yarrah]

Well, technically, if someone kills your pet, he destroys something that belongs to you. So he should be punished for that. But a pet is of course more than just a possession.
It's just too bad the law sees pets as a 'thing', unlike in Germany, where animal rights are protected by the German constitution.

[Regit]

The short answer is yes. The long answer is, when someone kills your pet you are listed as the victim of a crime and along with it comes victim's rights. You have the right to be involved in the legal matters of the case including prosectution of the accused. In most states, if someone kills your pet and it dies immediately, they are guilty of a misdemeanor. If it suffers they are guilty of a felony. Additionally, the killer owes for medical bills and punitive damages which you can sue for in civil court.

[alicia-w]

actually, i think it might depend on what type of animal it is, i.e. the value, the circumstances, and where you live.

and i just read that Spain is considering giving(or already has given) fundamental HUMAN rights to primates.