Survey: 74% of Americans Support Animal Rights

In a recent YouGov survey of American attitudes about the treatment of animals, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they believe that animals should be afforded some legal rights to protect them from human-caused suffering. Of the 1,000 adults surveyed, responses varied widely by wealth, ethnicity, and political party affiliation. For example, people with annual household incomes less than $80,000, Hispanics, and self-identified Democrats were the most likely to support certain legal rights for animals. The vast majority also stated that if they had to choose which animal to be instead of a human being, they’d want to be a dog or cat.