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Inhumane Society: The American Way of Exploiting Animals
A veterinarian offers a devastating indictment of the diverse ways in which the veterinary community and other animal industries exploit animals in America
- GenresNonfiction
268 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Michael W. Fox
111 books15 followersDr. Michael W. Fox is a well-known veterinarian, former vice president of The Humane Society of the United States, former vice president of Humane Society International and the author of more than 40 adult and children’s books on animal care, animal behavior and bioethics.
An expert in both medicine and psychology, Dr. Fox's training includes a degree in veterinary medicine as well as doctorate degrees in medicine and animal behavior/ethology. A strong advocate of animal rights, bioethics and environmental protection, Dr. Fox is an international veterinary consultant to various animal-related organizations.
A recipient of the Christopher Award for children's literature for his book "The Wolf," Dr. Fox has written more than 40 books for adults and children. He has also written more than 2,000 articles for professional journals and consumer magazines. Dr. Fox lectures extensively to an international audience of conservation and animal protection groups. He has appeared frequently on "The Tonight Show" and as a guest on other network television and radio talk shows and documentaries. He is a member of the British and American Veterinarian Medical Associations, the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights and the American Holistic Veterinary Association.
Dr. Fox lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Deanna, and their animal companions. They jointly run the India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN) in the Nilgiris, South India.
An expert in both medicine and psychology, Dr. Fox's training includes a degree in veterinary medicine as well as doctorate degrees in medicine and animal behavior/ethology. A strong advocate of animal rights, bioethics and environmental protection, Dr. Fox is an international veterinary consultant to various animal-related organizations.
A recipient of the Christopher Award for children's literature for his book "The Wolf," Dr. Fox has written more than 40 books for adults and children. He has also written more than 2,000 articles for professional journals and consumer magazines. Dr. Fox lectures extensively to an international audience of conservation and animal protection groups. He has appeared frequently on "The Tonight Show" and as a guest on other network television and radio talk shows and documentaries. He is a member of the British and American Veterinarian Medical Associations, the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights and the American Holistic Veterinary Association.
Dr. Fox lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Deanna, and their animal companions. They jointly run the India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN) in the Nilgiris, South India.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 23, 2026
A VETERINARIAN ARGUES AGAINST ‘SPECIESISM,’ AND FOR BETTER TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
Michael Wilson Fox (b. 1937) is an American veterinarian, ethologist, syndicated columnist [‘Animal Doctor’] and animal rights activist.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1990 book, “This book has grown from the heart of my concern as a veterinarian to help relieve much animal suffering. In veterinary school I was not taught about the causes and cures of this suffering… This suffering arises from how animals are perceived and treated for various purposes; exploited if you wish, as they themselves rarely benefit from the consequences of human dominion, except perhaps those delicate mutant creatures we use for research purposes and as pets, or entrust to others to raise for us to eat. These highly domesticated and genetically, hormonally, and environmentally manipulated creatures … could never exist in the wild independent of human ‘assistance.’ Yet ironically while they seem to benefit from veterinary and other treatments, they actually suffer from a host of health problems that arise as a consequence of how they are treated, and all to what end, as we make them ever more dependent on us.
“This book is not an indictment of veterinarians or of farmers, vivisectors, pet owners, hunters, and others whose lives entail some relationship with other animals either directly, as with the fur trapper, or indirectly, as with the woman or man who wears a fur coat. Rather it explores and reveals the ANIMAL SIDE of these various relationships…
“In this book I have attempted to set forth a new paradigm, a new way of relating to and treating our fellow animals and indeed the living Earth itself. This new way, the way of respect, compassion, and understanding, is the covenant restored in a biblical sense. In a medical and veterinary sense, it is holistic, preventative, and environmental medicine.” (Pg. xv-xvi)
He states in the Foreword, “While most vegetarians will wage war against disease, a radical shift in perception is taking place. There’s nothing wrong, or evil, or ‘fallen’ about nature. It is human nature that is the problem, and the suffering of the animal kingdom and the destruction of the natural world under our inhumane dominion are symptomatic consequences. Collectively, humanity is not in its right mind and heart in relation to the rest of God’s creation. This covenant, particularly in the United States but elsewhere as well, has been broken.” (Pg. 4)
He explains, “I have written [this book] to illustrate how humanitarians’ concerns for the welfare of homeless cats and dogs and for those countless numbers of animals that are cruelly treated by humanity is not a sentimentally misguided and thus irrational obsession. To be concerned for the welfare of animals in the United States and elsewhere, and for the global environment in which we live, are the 11th and 12th commandments of the animal rights and ‘deep ecology’ movements. These movements have grown out of the emotional yet rationally enlightened moralistic perspectives of the humane (animal welfare) and conservation movements. They represent the forefront of a more global, political, and spiritual network of movements and organizations… All share the ideology that we should treat others, including all living things, as we would have them and God treat us---with understanding, respect, and love… it is of enlightened self-interest and a survival imperative to follow this Golden Rule.” (Pg. 8)
He continues, “This book does not deal with deliberate cruelty toward animals by individuals, which is… a psychiatric problem that often occurs alongside child abuse and violent criminal behavior…. I have subtitled this book ‘The American Way of Exploiting Animals’ to expose the complicity, indifference, and passivity, particularly in America but also elsewhere, of many people and professions contributing to the holocaust of the animal kingdom.” (Pg. 8-9)
He outlines, “The humane movement … has expanded its scope of concern significantly over the past decade. The intent of [this book] is… to demonstrate the social and political relevance to human health and well-being and to planetary survival. First, the new animal rights philosophy has broadened the movement conceptually: Beyond the human concerns over animal pain, fear, and suffering lie issues related to more basic rights, such as the right to life for endangered species…. Second, the industrialized forms of propagation and exploitation of animals by agribusiness and biomedical research have forced the movement into a political arena of confrontation and legislative battles on the local, state, and even national levels.” (Pg. 10)
He argues, “The mass production, slaughter, and consumption of billions of animals result in a psychic numbing of our empathetic sensitivity. Farm animals are treated as mere commodities. This insensitivity spreads from indifference toward the rights interests of those who work in the steaming bowels of the slaughterhouse to a total disregard for the fate of the family farm and the rights and interests of the consumer in having healthful and wholesome food. But those who suffer most prior to slaughter are the farm animals themselves, the enslaved victims and protein factories of a meat-based agriculture that is neither sustainable nor in the best interests of the nation’s health and future prosperity.” (Pg. 24)
He asserts, “I regard vegetarianism as more than a personal choice. I see it as an ethical imperative for several reasons. The human species is out of balance with the rest of creation… as a consequence of destructive an ecologically unsound industries and consumer habits… it is ecological suicide for us to endeavor to maintain a meat-based agriculture and a primarily carnivorous diet. We create irreparable damage to the ecology when we destroy natural habitats and displace and exterminate wildlife species to raise livestock and livestock feed… In sum, those who care for nature and for wildlife realize that vegetarianism is an ethical imperative. Another reason for becoming a vegetarian is because of the cruel ways in which most livestock and poultry are raised, transported, and slaughtered.” (Pg. 55-56)
He states, “Animal ‘welfarists’ decry the deliberate killing of whales and seals, trapping, and trophy hunting as being ‘unnecessary’ and not essential to the good of society. Such activities are therefore considered unethical and immoral. This rational conclusion is, however, human-centered and utilitarian because it implies that other forms of violence against animals may be necessary… Animal welfarists accept… the suffering and killing of animals in the name of medical necessity… with the patronizing proviso that the animals should be treated as humanely as possible.” (Pg. 99)
He contends, “Today’s zoos and wildlife safari parks… must compete with a wide variety of leisure-time activities… performing apes, elephants, bears, big cats, dolphins, and ‘killer’ whales especially draw the crowds… As we demean animals by making them perform unnatural acts, so we demean ourselves… Even if the trainer or animal handler loves the animals, as soon as they begin to perform, what is manifested is not love but domination.” (Pg. 146)
He contends, “I do not claim that animals have equal rights, because many of their needs, wants, and interests are different from ours. They do not need or have any interest in a right to vote or to free speech. Still, their interests should be given equal and fair consideration in relation to our interests in exploiting them for various purposes. To argue that only humans can have rights is ‘speciesism’---a term analogous to sexism and racism. There are no logical reasons for denying animals any right while at the same time claiming rights for ourselves.” (Pg. 226)
He concludes, “we must move beyond the rhetoric of exclusive rights and entitlements, and the narrow fundamentalist ideologies of industrialism, scientism, colonialism, anthropocentrism, patriarchy, and economic determination that entailed the violation of human rights, the holocaust of the animal kingdom, and the destruction of the natural world.” (Pg. 241-242)
This book will be of keen interest to those studying animal rights/welfare, vegetarianism, and related topics.”
Michael Wilson Fox (b. 1937) is an American veterinarian, ethologist, syndicated columnist [‘Animal Doctor’] and animal rights activist.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1990 book, “This book has grown from the heart of my concern as a veterinarian to help relieve much animal suffering. In veterinary school I was not taught about the causes and cures of this suffering… This suffering arises from how animals are perceived and treated for various purposes; exploited if you wish, as they themselves rarely benefit from the consequences of human dominion, except perhaps those delicate mutant creatures we use for research purposes and as pets, or entrust to others to raise for us to eat. These highly domesticated and genetically, hormonally, and environmentally manipulated creatures … could never exist in the wild independent of human ‘assistance.’ Yet ironically while they seem to benefit from veterinary and other treatments, they actually suffer from a host of health problems that arise as a consequence of how they are treated, and all to what end, as we make them ever more dependent on us.
“This book is not an indictment of veterinarians or of farmers, vivisectors, pet owners, hunters, and others whose lives entail some relationship with other animals either directly, as with the fur trapper, or indirectly, as with the woman or man who wears a fur coat. Rather it explores and reveals the ANIMAL SIDE of these various relationships…
“In this book I have attempted to set forth a new paradigm, a new way of relating to and treating our fellow animals and indeed the living Earth itself. This new way, the way of respect, compassion, and understanding, is the covenant restored in a biblical sense. In a medical and veterinary sense, it is holistic, preventative, and environmental medicine.” (Pg. xv-xvi)
He states in the Foreword, “While most vegetarians will wage war against disease, a radical shift in perception is taking place. There’s nothing wrong, or evil, or ‘fallen’ about nature. It is human nature that is the problem, and the suffering of the animal kingdom and the destruction of the natural world under our inhumane dominion are symptomatic consequences. Collectively, humanity is not in its right mind and heart in relation to the rest of God’s creation. This covenant, particularly in the United States but elsewhere as well, has been broken.” (Pg. 4)
He explains, “I have written [this book] to illustrate how humanitarians’ concerns for the welfare of homeless cats and dogs and for those countless numbers of animals that are cruelly treated by humanity is not a sentimentally misguided and thus irrational obsession. To be concerned for the welfare of animals in the United States and elsewhere, and for the global environment in which we live, are the 11th and 12th commandments of the animal rights and ‘deep ecology’ movements. These movements have grown out of the emotional yet rationally enlightened moralistic perspectives of the humane (animal welfare) and conservation movements. They represent the forefront of a more global, political, and spiritual network of movements and organizations… All share the ideology that we should treat others, including all living things, as we would have them and God treat us---with understanding, respect, and love… it is of enlightened self-interest and a survival imperative to follow this Golden Rule.” (Pg. 8)
He continues, “This book does not deal with deliberate cruelty toward animals by individuals, which is… a psychiatric problem that often occurs alongside child abuse and violent criminal behavior…. I have subtitled this book ‘The American Way of Exploiting Animals’ to expose the complicity, indifference, and passivity, particularly in America but also elsewhere, of many people and professions contributing to the holocaust of the animal kingdom.” (Pg. 8-9)
He outlines, “The humane movement … has expanded its scope of concern significantly over the past decade. The intent of [this book] is… to demonstrate the social and political relevance to human health and well-being and to planetary survival. First, the new animal rights philosophy has broadened the movement conceptually: Beyond the human concerns over animal pain, fear, and suffering lie issues related to more basic rights, such as the right to life for endangered species…. Second, the industrialized forms of propagation and exploitation of animals by agribusiness and biomedical research have forced the movement into a political arena of confrontation and legislative battles on the local, state, and even national levels.” (Pg. 10)
He argues, “The mass production, slaughter, and consumption of billions of animals result in a psychic numbing of our empathetic sensitivity. Farm animals are treated as mere commodities. This insensitivity spreads from indifference toward the rights interests of those who work in the steaming bowels of the slaughterhouse to a total disregard for the fate of the family farm and the rights and interests of the consumer in having healthful and wholesome food. But those who suffer most prior to slaughter are the farm animals themselves, the enslaved victims and protein factories of a meat-based agriculture that is neither sustainable nor in the best interests of the nation’s health and future prosperity.” (Pg. 24)
He asserts, “I regard vegetarianism as more than a personal choice. I see it as an ethical imperative for several reasons. The human species is out of balance with the rest of creation… as a consequence of destructive an ecologically unsound industries and consumer habits… it is ecological suicide for us to endeavor to maintain a meat-based agriculture and a primarily carnivorous diet. We create irreparable damage to the ecology when we destroy natural habitats and displace and exterminate wildlife species to raise livestock and livestock feed… In sum, those who care for nature and for wildlife realize that vegetarianism is an ethical imperative. Another reason for becoming a vegetarian is because of the cruel ways in which most livestock and poultry are raised, transported, and slaughtered.” (Pg. 55-56)
He states, “Animal ‘welfarists’ decry the deliberate killing of whales and seals, trapping, and trophy hunting as being ‘unnecessary’ and not essential to the good of society. Such activities are therefore considered unethical and immoral. This rational conclusion is, however, human-centered and utilitarian because it implies that other forms of violence against animals may be necessary… Animal welfarists accept… the suffering and killing of animals in the name of medical necessity… with the patronizing proviso that the animals should be treated as humanely as possible.” (Pg. 99)
He contends, “Today’s zoos and wildlife safari parks… must compete with a wide variety of leisure-time activities… performing apes, elephants, bears, big cats, dolphins, and ‘killer’ whales especially draw the crowds… As we demean animals by making them perform unnatural acts, so we demean ourselves… Even if the trainer or animal handler loves the animals, as soon as they begin to perform, what is manifested is not love but domination.” (Pg. 146)
He contends, “I do not claim that animals have equal rights, because many of their needs, wants, and interests are different from ours. They do not need or have any interest in a right to vote or to free speech. Still, their interests should be given equal and fair consideration in relation to our interests in exploiting them for various purposes. To argue that only humans can have rights is ‘speciesism’---a term analogous to sexism and racism. There are no logical reasons for denying animals any right while at the same time claiming rights for ourselves.” (Pg. 226)
He concludes, “we must move beyond the rhetoric of exclusive rights and entitlements, and the narrow fundamentalist ideologies of industrialism, scientism, colonialism, anthropocentrism, patriarchy, and economic determination that entailed the violation of human rights, the holocaust of the animal kingdom, and the destruction of the natural world.” (Pg. 241-242)
This book will be of keen interest to those studying animal rights/welfare, vegetarianism, and related topics.”
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