The consent issue is a less consistent approach to animal care and probably the reason why no one seriously proposes it when trying to pass laws against bestiality. If you consider the animal's consent important then the law breaks down in terms of ownership of animals, neutering animals, breeding programmes, showing animals and killing animals as some examples.
Trying to claim that the animal cannot make clear what it wants compared to what it tolerates is not a criticism that would just be confined to sex. That will apply to guide dogs, do they want that or are they being forced. Playing fetch, going for walks, having it's belly rubbed, eating treats. How can you say they want that rather than they are just tolerating it? That argument is not developed and then applied to the treatment of animals, rather it is a post-hoc justification for making bestiality illegal that is inconsistent with other aspects of animal care.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~
The consent issue is a less consistent approach to animal care and probably the reason why no one seriously proposes it when trying to pass laws against bestiality. If you consider the animal's consent important then the law breaks down in terms of ownership of animals, neutering animals, breeding programmes, showing animals and killing animals as some examples.
Trying to claim that the animal cannot make clear what it wants compared to what it tolerates is not a criticism that would just be confined to sex. That will apply to guide dogs, do they want that or are they being forced. Playing fetch, going for walks, having it's belly rubbed, eating treats. How can you say they want that rather than they are just tolerating it? That argument is not developed and then applied to the treatment of animals, rather it is a post-hoc justification for making bestiality illegal that is inconsistent with other aspects of animal care.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~