Bestiality: Can an animal "consent"?

[foudroyant]

First off, it sickens me to even have to write about something like this but with the mind-set of anything goes and don't discriminate about anything in the USA here goes...

What is the justification for outlawing bestiality? What if the animal "consents"? True it can not be verbalized but what if the animal doesn't seem to mind and the person doing so claims their "right" to engage in such an (abominable) activity?

[KingsGambit]

I really do hope the courts do not end up exploring this issue in the near future but I don't know if anything would shock me anymore.

[Psychic Missile]

First off, it sickens me to even have to write about something like this but with the mind-set of anything goes and don't discriminate about anything in the USA here goes...

What is the justification for outlawing bestiality? What if the animal "consents"? True it can not be verbalized but what if the animal doesn't seem to mind and the person doing so claims their "right" to engage in such an (abominable) activity?

You think animals can consent to sex with humans?

[KingsGambit]

You think animals can consent to sex with humans?

The elephant in the room is that they can't consent to being killed for meat, either.

[Darth Executor]

The elephant in the room is that they can't consent to being killed for meat, either.

Pretty much. Bigots like Psychic Missile only object to it because of personal disgust, but that's not a good enough reason to take away other people's rights. What a man and his anaconda do in the privacy of his underground dungeon is none of our business.

[Zymologist]

The elephant in the room is that they can't consent to being killed for meat, either.

This.

[Teallaura]

Except that consent isn't at issue with bestiality laws.

[Zymologist]

Except that consent isn't at issue with bestiality laws.

What is? Consent is the only thing I've ever seen argued.

[Teallaura]

It's considered a crime against nature and there are public health (potential zoonotic diseases) and animal welfare concerns. The animal can't consent - but while an animal can be humanely destroyed it may not be inhumanely treated.

[Jedidiah]

What Teal said. Disgusting crime against nature.

[Darth Executor]

It's considered a crime against nature

According to whom? Homosexuality was once considered a crime against nature by bigoted conservative Christians too.

and there are public health (potential zoonotic diseases)

Unlike anal sex.

and animal welfare concerns.

Sexually abusing people isn't grounds for banning sexual relations, so I don't see why that would change for animals.

The animal can't consent - but while an animal can be humanely destroyed it may not be inhumanely treated.

If the animal enjoys it then it's not really inhumane treatment.

[seer]

It's considered a crime against nature and there are public health (potential zoonotic diseases) and animal welfare concerns. The animal can't consent - but while an animal can be humanely destroyed it may not be inhumanely treated.

Of course one can protect against diseases, as we do with human to human sex. And why would sex with an animal be inhumane? Even Dr. Peter Singer, an animal rights advocate, suggested that human to animal sex sex is not necessarily harmful to the animal if done correctly. The only reason I can see for preventing such action is based on the Law of God.

http://www.utilitarianism.net/singer/by/2001----.htm

[Bill the Cat]

The elephant in the room is that they can't consent to being killed for meat, either.

Or even consent to being owned.

[seer]

Or even consent to being owned.

Well, I'm not sure if I own my dogs or my dogs own me. Heck, I spent more for their medical last year than mine.

[Bill the Cat]

If the animal enjoys it then it's not really inhumane treatment.

That reminds me of Ron White's skit on when the vet had Ron collect a sperm sample from his dog Sluggo.

So we're trying to breed Sluggo and get pick of the litter, so we put him with the female dog for a week. And to make sure it takes, we take him to the vet and they do the artificial insemination, and now it don't take **** to get Sluggo to go to the vet! So the last time we go there, the lady says, "Mr. White, if you'll just come with me, I'll show you how to do this, so next time you don't have to bring the dog, you can just bring the sperm."

It is actually legal to engage in this form of sexual act with an animal for breeding purposes.