--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I maintain that we ought to abolish the…" description: "\"I maintain that we ought to abolish the institution and stop causing or facilitating the existence of more 'companion' animals.\" — Gary L. Francione" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/gary-l-francione-8902_abolish_i-maintain-that-we-ought-to-abolish-the_1741845.jpg" --- # I maintain that we ought to abolish the institution and… ![“I maintain that we ought to abolish the institution and stop causing or facilitating the existence of more 'companion' animals.” quote by Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/gary-l-francione-8902_abolish_i-maintain-that-we-ought-to-abolish-the_1741845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/gary-l-francione-8902_abolish_i-maintain-that-we-ought-to-abolish-the_1741845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/481/gary-l-francione-8902_abolish_i-maintain-that-we-ought-to-abolish-the_1741845.jpg) > “I maintain that we ought to abolish the institution and stop causing or facilitating the existence of more 'companion' animals.” [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calls for ending the institution that creates and sustains companion animals, arguing it causes suffering. **In simple terms:** Abolish pet ownership to prevent harm. Key Takeaway Question the ethics of pet ownership. Themes ethics animal rights society Mood critical thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - legislative reform - public education - animal rescue - ethical consumerism Key Concepts moral philosophy animal welfare Questions to Reflect On - Is companionship essential for humans? - What alternatives to pet ownership exist? A Different Perspective Cultural attachment to pets may resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolish/) [Abolish Institution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolish-institution-1526984/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal - rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-rights/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Companion animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion-animals/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Institution Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institution-stop-1526986/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Ought Abolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-abolish-1526985/) ## Related quotes > [I certainly believe that we have a moral obligation to care for the dogs, cats, and other nonhumans whose existence we have caused or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/i-certainly-believe-that-we-have-a-moral-obligation-to-care-for-the/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [The authority of any governing institution must stop at its citizen's skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-authority-of-any-governing-institution-must-stop-at-its-citizen-s/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“In addition to selecting for infantile physical features in many of our pet breeds, we have carefully cultivated an infant-like dependency in many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-danten/in-addition-to-selecting-for-infantile-physical-features-in-many-of/) [Charles Danten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-danten/) > [What a lonely species we are, searching for signals of life from other galaxies, adopting companion animals, visiting parks and zoos to commune with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/what-a-lonely-species-we-are-searching-for-signals-of-life-from-other/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [I don't use the word 'pet.' I think it's speciest language. I prefer 'companion animal.' We would no longer allow... pet shops... Eventually companion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/i-don-t-use-the-word-pet-i-think-it-s-speciest-language-i-prefer/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [The issue of animal use and abuse can seem insurmountable, it is tragic and it is complex. We love our companion animals and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-marshall/the-issue-of-animal-use-and-abuse-can-seem-insurmountable-it-is/) [Liz Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-marshall/) > [Working on behalf of companion animals is so important. We start to realize how healing they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/working-on-behalf-of-companion-animals-is-so-important-we-start-to/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [After spending time with the rescued turkeys at Farm Sanctuary's shelter and seeing how similar they are to my furry companion animals at home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/after-spending-time-with-the-rescued-turkeys-at-farm-sanctuary-s/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [“Just as humanity has extended this basic equal consideration to humans (including those who were once outside of our moral community), we must extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-torres/just-as-humanity-has-extended-this-basic-equal-consideration-to/) [Bob Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-torres/) > [“I know that market value is a repulsive accounting of somebody’s worth, and many of us would be unable to put a monetary value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pierce/i-know-that-market-value-is-a-repulsive-accounting-of-somebody-s/) [Jessica Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pierce/) > [“A common misconception is that pets have easy lives. They don’t have to do any work to find food and shelter or to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pierce/a-common-misconception-is-that-pets-have-easy-lives-they-don-t-have/) [Jessica Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pierce/) > [“Pet owners like to think of themselves as the parents of their animals, but they overlook the fact that the ‘children’ they claim are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-danten/pet-owners-like-to-think-of-themselves-as-the-parents-of-their/) [Charles Danten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-danten/) > [The bottom line is that people dont have the right to manipulate or to breed dogs and cats ... If people want toys, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/the-bottom-line-is-that-people-dont-have-the-right-to-manipulate-or/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [“There is a tendency to oversimplify the issue of spay/neuter and to promote the essential benefits without recognizing that our animals do suffer some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pierce/there-is-a-tendency-to-oversimplify-the-issue-of-spay-neuter-and-to/) [Jessica Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pierce/) > [“Yet still, beneath all the marketing and social construction of attitudes and desires and shopping habits, there is a deep yearning for connection. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pierce/yet-still-beneath-all-the-marketing-and-social-construction-of/) [Jessica Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pierce/) ## More by Gary L. Francione > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Humans treat animals as things that exist as means to human ends. That's morally wrong. Sexism promotes the idea that women are things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/humans-treat-animals-as-things-that-exist-as-means-to-human-ends-that/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“The notion that animals are not self-aware is based on nothing more than a stipulation that the only way to be self-aware is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/the-notion-that-animals-are-not-self-aware-is-based-on-nothing-more/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [There is no morally coherent difference between fur and other animal clothing, such as leather, wool, etc., just as there is no morally coherent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/there-is-no-morally-coherent-difference-between-fur-and-other-animal/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We cannot talk simultaneously about animal rights and the 'humane' slaughter of animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-cannot-talk-simultaneously-about-animal-rights-and-the-humane/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We can no more justify using nonhumans as human resources than we can justify human slavery. Animal use and slavery have at least one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-can-no-more-justify-using-nonhumans-as-human-resources-than-we-can/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Because animals are property, we consider as "humane treatment" that we would regard as torture if it were inflicted on humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/because-animals-are-property-we-consider-as-humane-treatment-that-we/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Not only are the philosophies of animal rights and animal welfare separated by irreconcilable differences... the enactment of animal welfare measures actually impedes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/not-only-are-the-philosophies-of-animal-rights-and-animal-welfare/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [There is increasing social concern about our use of nonhumans for experiments, food, clothing and entertainment. This concern about animals reflects both our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/there-is-increasing-social-concern-about-our-use-of-nonhumans-for/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Being vegan is easy. Are there social pressures that encourage you to continue to eat, wear, and use animal products? Of course there are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/being-vegan-is-easy-are-there-social-pressures-that-encourage-you-to/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“Sentience is a means to the end of continued existence. Sentient beings, by virtue of their being sentient, have an interest in remaining alive;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/sentience-is-a-means-to-the-end-of-continued-existence-sentient/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [It costs us so little to go vegan. It costs animals so much if we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/it-costs-us-so-little-to-go-vegan-it-costs-animals-so-much-if-we-don-t/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [In order to be a teacher you've got to be a student first](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/in-order-to-be-a-teacher-you-ve-got-to-be-a-student-first/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We do not need to eat animals, wear animals, or use animals for entertainment purposes, and our only defence of these uses is our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-do-not-need-to-eat-animals-wear-animals-or-use-animals-for/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [But if there were two dogs left in the universe and it were up to us as to whether they were allowed to breed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/but-if-there-were-two-dogs-left-in-the-universe-and-it-were-up-to-us/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Explore all 77 Gary L. Francione quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) ## More Abolish quotes > [To be creative means to connect. It's to abolish the gap between the body, the mind and the soul, between science and art, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/to-be-creative-means-to-connect-it-s-to-abolish-the-gap-between-the/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [I will not be a Democrat or a Republican. They are the problem, not the solution. 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Shall we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/do-not-suppose-that-abuses-are-eliminated-by-destroying-the-object/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Throughout the last century there were multiple attempts at giving Afghan women more autonomy, to change marriage laws, to abolish the practice of bride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/throughout-the-last-century-there-were-multiple-attempts-at-giving/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [But perhaps the next step isn't to, once again, expand the otherwise narrow definition of marriage but to altogether abolish the false distinction between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-kohn/but-perhaps-the-next-step-isn-t-to-once-again-expand-the-otherwise/) [Sally Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-kohn/) > [I know we can't abolish prejudice through laws, but we can set up guidelines for our actions by legislation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-we-can-t-abolish-prejudice-through-laws-but-we-can-set-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What we need is someone to abolish the House Of Lords, get rid of the Royal Family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/what-we-need-is-someone-to-abolish-the-house-of-lords-get-rid-of-the/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [There is not a right too long denied to which we do not aspire in order to achieve; there is not a wrong too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/there-is-not-a-right-too-long-denied-to-which-we-do-not-aspire-in/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Environmental scientists also show us clearly that from the environmental and ecological points of view that nuclear war is not preventable. The only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadatoshi-akiba/environmental-scientists-also-show-us-clearly-that-from-the/) [Tadatoshi Akiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadatoshi-akiba/) > [We should abolish 'work.' 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If the government provides the funds required by taxing the citizens or by borrowing from the public, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/government-spending-cannot-create-additional-jobs-if-the-government/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/liberty-is-to-faction-what-air-is-to-fire-an-aliment-without-which-it/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I know in London a Welsh hairdresser who has striven so vehemently to abolish his accent that he sounds like a man speaking with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/i-know-in-london-a-welsh-hairdresser-who-has-striven-so-vehemently-to/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) [Browse all 300 Abolish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I maintain that we ought to abolish the institution and stop causing or facilitating the existence of more 'companion' animals.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary L. 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