[Triple Word Score]

Hmmm. Animals don't have rights because they're not human. Many do have responsibilities--mine does, and she fulfills them.

A human fetus doesn't have rights because courts haven't consistently offered them, but a newborn human baby has rights--but no responsibilities.

At least a newborn baby has rights at this moment, as I write this. There are people tirelessly working to change that.

[Varda]

Only humans have responsibilities, animals are given tasks. Babys have rights because they are human (who at maturity will have rights and responsibilities) and because in our society humans are made in the image and likeness of God and therefore must be respected. The further we get from that notion the closer we get to those societies (like pagan Rome) where babies were simply the property of their parents. This is what a dog is, property.