The rights further mentioned are rights that apply specifically to animals, such as the right to life and the right to be free from torture, not societal rights that encompass only humans. Animals, which are more similar to man than different in terms of intelligence and consciousness, deserve the same protections and liberties manifested in some of the most historic and profound legal documents, such as the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the United Nations' Universal Declaration on Rights (1948). Since animals are now known to experience some of the same emotions and behaviors that humans show due to sentience, it only makes sense that such rights apply to them as well. There are laws currently in place that claim to preserve the rights of animals, but they are both largely ineffective and outdated when compared to modern science.
There are already several laws that prevent animal cruelty and promote animal welfare, such as the Animal Welfare Act of 1966. In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) appears to set certain minimum requirements for the humane treatment of non-human animals in laboratories and other settings, but in fact is "very ineffective," as stated by Doris Lin, an animal rights attorney and Director of Legal Affairs for the Animal Protection League of NJ. The AWA does not cover "95 percent" of animals used in laboratories and "does not prohibit invasive procedures or the killing of the animals" when the experiments are over. The AWA addresses more "superficial concerns, such as cage size, toys, and anesthesia" (Lin). Animal rights laws that were passed fifty years ago no longer adhere to modern scientific research as it applies to the sentience of animal species and the treatment of animals with the rights that they are entitled to, much like man is legally entitled to rights and liberties.
The debate of animal rights is becoming an increasingly momentous topic that is no longer a concern of a few left-wing liberals, but rather is an international hot topic that encompasses the vast majority of first world countries that have indoctrinated some form of human rights.