In the reading, Abrell talks about the relationship between humans and other animals in the realm of animal rescue/care. I thought that this reading was a really interesting look at ethical practices with animals, explaining the potential humans have to both help and hurt animals in our good intentions to save them. Abrell’s central argument does not waste time examining individual cases but instead delves into the systemic issues of animal exploitation that need to be addressed. Some examples she brings up that I thought were interesting include wildlife rehabilitation, animal sanctuaries, and animal shelters. The idea of “compassionate conservation” is one that I would love to hear other students’ thoughts on. This idea challenges how traditional conservation efforts look at and priority the saving of species over individual animals.
Reading Angela’s discussion post I also found the bestia sacer case pretty interesting and would like to include it in my own response: Abrell’s analysis of Bestia Sacer definitely highlights that there are challenges to conservation efforts by their very nature and that it is important to consider unintended consequences of our efforts.