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Voices of ACES Blog

Animal Rights and ACES

ACE students discussing policy.

Over the summer I was traveling in Spain, and my family and I decided to go to a bullfight in Madrid. We thought it would be a good idea to immerse ourselves into the Spanish culture. Unsuspecting of what we were about to witness we bought tickets and sat at the very last row of the stadium. At first the bullfight seemed normal and it involved everything I expected. Finally, a man on horse back in the arena started stabbing the bull with a large spear. The bull started bleeding out, but the torero, (the human baiting the bulls) continued to torture the bull. Finally, after being repeatedly stabbed, the bull had had enough. The bull keeled over and died. It was immediately dragged out of the arena.

Stunned by these events, my family and I questioned how this could possibly be legal in a country that is considered modern. Little did I know I was going to learn all about animal cruelty in my Animal Science class here at the University of Illinois. As an animal lover and an ACE major, I took this class as an elective through the college of ACES. I wanted to learn more about how society interacts with companion animals, and what I can do as an individual to better the lives of our furry friends.

In my animal science course we talked about animal cruelty, neglect, and abuse. We also talked about dog fighting in the US, which actually has similar principles to bullfighting. We learned about animal rights groups such as PETA and the Humane Society International. All of these topics I was able to relate back to my experience in Madrid. Additionally, the things I learned in class gave me some answers into my questions about what I had seen back in Spain. I learned that PETA and The HSI do not support what Spain allows with bullfighting.

After applying what I had uncovered on the inhumane treatment of bulls in Spain, I plan to educate my friends and family about the issue. Education is the first step in changing something we don’t support. I am so lucky to be apart of the ACE department, which has given me chances to explore my other interests. The college of ACES has so much to offer students!