Animal Rights is a movement that intends to protect all animals from being exploited and abused by humans. This includes the use of animals for anything that causes them pain and suffering, such as medical experimentation, imprisonment in circuses and zoos, and fur production. The Animal Rights movement has very different objectives than animal welfare groups. While welfare activists fight for a more humane treatment of animals in general, animal rights activists want animals to be considered as individuals, rather than property.

Groups that work for animal rights often cover areas such as the fur and wool industry, aquariums and zoos, testing on animals (both medical and for the cosmetic industry), and pets. Many animal rights advocates are also vegetarians, since the use of animal as a food source is discouraged. While this is not a requirement, it is becoming standard among activists.

The Animal Rights movement dates back to the late 19th century, thanks in part to the work of Arthur Schopenhauer and Henry Salt, who created awareness with the publication of the first books on animal issues and the importance of giving them a place in the moral system.

The Animal Rights movement had a strong comeback in the 1970, where most of the modern terms were coined. Oxford psychologist Richard Ryder coined the word "speciesism," which came to be the basis of the animal rights movement. Basically, speciesism is the assignment of different values to beings depending on their species. Ryder wrote extensively on the issue and considered as serious as racism.

In 1975, Peter Singer wrote what is now considered the basic reference book for animal rights activist. The book Animal Liberation has been used as course book for Singer's Bioethics course at Princeton University. Other books considered as essential to the animal rights movement include James Rachels' Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism and Tom Regan's The Case for Animal Rights.

The animal rights movement is not interested in making animals and human equal. Rather, they work for the basic rights of all animals to live free of human abuse, and avoid unnecessary pain or premature death at the hands of humans.