Appendix 2 Values Clarification Exercise

• Library: Pet Law & Custody: Establishing a Worthy & Equitable Jurisprudence for the Evolving Family (ABA) (2017 Ed.)

Appendix 2 Values Clarification Exercise

Part of the objective of this book is to help the reader become more conversant with biases and points of view about the animal kingdom as a tool to better understand the perspectives of other attorneys, adverse parties, experts, judicial officers, and alternative dispute resolution professionals. A useful beginning point is to inventory your own views as follows:

1. Would others describe you as a leader or a follower?
2. Are you more likely to follow laws based upon a belief that they represent a higher order or because of the consequences if you do not?
3. Are you more likely to comply with the terms of a contract that you sign because your word is your bond or because you would be worried about a lawsuit if you did not comply?
4. Would you characterize yourself as being in the mainstream or being out of the box?
5. Do you view humans as primates or not primates?
6. Which do you think better describes animal rights: equal to human rights or minimum welfare standards?
7. Do you think of animal rights in an abstract way, such as a universal principle, or in a specific way, such as a particular wrong that you are aware of?
8. Would you be more likely to eat an animal-based protein or a non-animal-based protein?
9. Do you believe vegans are fanatical or morally superior?
10. Do you think a successful researcher would learn more about an animal's behaviors in a highly controlled laboratory experiment or through longterm field observation?
11. Would you rather spend time outdoors in a completely natural environment or in a beautifully planned and developed garden?
12. Would it be better if animals promptly responded to commands or if they were mostly self-directed?
13. Do you believe humans operate on instinct more than non-human animals do or operate on instinct less than non-human animals do?
14. Do you believe that emotions are a part of your rational thinking process or that emotions are irrational?
15. Do you think close emotional bonds between humans and companion animals reflect affection that would be better directed at another human or that there are valuable interspecies bonds?
16. Would you be more influenced to change your actions based upon what you learn through science or based upon what you learn through experience?
17. Which trait do you think is more important for a non-human animal to have, sentience or intelligence?
18. Who do you believe provides better care of companion animals, women or men?
19. Would you be more afraid if a companion animal that you cared for tried to bite you or tried to leave you?
20. Do you think that humans who buy an animal from a reputable breeder are superior to humans who adopt a rescue animal or are inferior to humans who adopt a rescue animal?
21. Do you think it is better to select a purebred animal based upon a registry or based upon an on-site visit?
22. Would you prefer that feral cats be killed so that they do not harm other wildlife or be spayed and neutered so that their population declines?
23. Should a utilitarian concept, making a choice that promotes the greatest good, be applied to all animals or to humans only?
24. Should a sustainability model apply to the survival of all animals or to humans only?
25. Do you think a love bond between a human and

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