We need to learn more fully how to understand and respect the animals, with whom we share the world. And as civilization advances (if it does), one of our more important responsibilities must be to look after the animals. Certainly we should control them and surely we must make use of them, but we should do these things thoughtfully and we must learn not to abuse or waste the animals…Yet it would be no good tackling our task by being sentimental; an animal is an animal and not a sort of human being dressed up. Before we can act wisely we must appreciate the facts and see the animals as they really are.

Richard Adams (author of Watership Down)  (via howtoskinatiger)