animal rights

American  

plural noun

1. the rights of animals, claimed on ethical grounds, to the same humane treatment and protection from exploitation and abuse that are accorded to humans.

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animal rights British  

plural noun

1. 1. the rights of animals to be protected from exploitation and abuse by humans

   2. ( as modifier )

      the animal-rights lobby

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Etymology

Origin of animal rights

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

About 20 animal rights activists clashed with police outside luxury label Fendi’s Paris haute couture show on Wednesday, while inside designer Karl Lagerfeld presented the brand’s signature furs in a multiplicity of forms, including coats, suits, mink pants and more.

From Los Angeles Times

After retiring from acting in 1973 at age 39, Bardot flirted with a career as a singer but mostly turned her attention to animal rights, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986 and advocating relentlessly against practices such as seal hunting and animal cruelty in slaughterhouses.

From Salon

In 1973, at the height of her fame, Bardot retired from acting at 39 to champion animal rights.

From BBC

She remained a symbol of 1960s glamour and a pioneer for animal rights.

From BBC

French film legend Brigitte Bardot, a cinema icon of the 1950s and sixties who walked away from global stardom to become an animal rights protector, has died aged 91, her foundation said Sunday.

From Barron's