Do a majority of people really think animals lack thoughts and feelings? We dismiss animal parents as acting on instinct when protecting their young, but can't the same be said for a lot of human behaviors? We like our routines and schedules just as much — hence the pet waiting for you at the door every afternoon.

You'd think it was obvious, but much of science has denied it for centuries, claiming that only humans have this kind of special awareness.

What even are they defining "conscious" as? Because I think it's pretty obvious that all animals at least to a point are making their own decisions and are aware of their surroundings.

I'm not going to sit here and advocate that all animals exist simply for H. sapiens to act out all their sadist fantasies on, but I think these guys are overplaying their hand.