The Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection
"Let us all learn to respect every animal as a sentient being." – Dr. Jane Goodall
As a society, it is crucial to recognize that nonhuman animals are sentient beings, capable of experiencing emotions such as joy, sadness, pain, and fear. This understanding calls for a profound respect for their well-being and compels us to reconsider how we interact with all beyond human life forms. Sentience in nonhuman animals implies they are not mere commodities, but individuals with intrinsic value and rights. As such, we must ensure they live lives free from unnecessary suffering and exploitation, fostering a more compassionate and ethical world.
At the University of Denver, we seek to design an Institute dedicated to fostering such a world through research, public engagement, training, and advocacy, with the goal of establishing greater legal standing and future well-being of nonhuman animals. Capitalizing upon the distinctive strengths of the University of Denver, we envision the establishment of the Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection towards (1) expanding scientific and social-scientific understanding of the cognitive and emotional capabilities of nonhuman animals and contemporary innovations that improve our understanding of their sentience; and (2) to advancing the protection of all nonhuman animals.
The Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection (IASP) is a joint initiative between the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) and the Sturm College of Law (SCOL). IASP combines the shared goals of expanding understanding of the cognitive and emotional capabilities of nonhuman animals while advancing legislation to ensure their protection. This interdisciplinary collaboration between GSSW and SCOL allows scholarship and research to be applied in legislation to meet critical community needs concerning animal protection.
What Do We Know About Animal Sentience?
Animal sentience is widely accepted today due to a substantial body of scientific evidence, behavioral observations, and ethical considerations.
Below are some key examples supporting animal sentience as factual reality:
- Ethical Considerations: Recognizing animal sentience is also a matter of ethical concern. Many argue that sentient beings should be treated with respect and consideration because they can experience pleasure and suffering. Ethical frameworks, such as animal welfare and animal rights, are built on the premise of animal sentience.
- Legal Recognition: In many countries, laws and regulations are in place to protect the welfare and rights of nonhuman animals, acknowledging their capacity for suffering and well-being. These legal protections reflect a growing societal recognition of animal sentience.
- Scientific Consensus: The overwhelming consensus among scientists who study animal behavior and cognition is that many nonhuman animals are sentient. Leading experts in fields like ethology, neuroscience, and comparative psychology have contributed to this understanding.
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Neurological and Physiological Evidence
Studies of animal brains and nervous systems have revealed remarkable similarities between humans and many other animals.
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Behavioral and Emotional Observations
Extensive research has shown that nonhuman animals exhibit a wide range of complex behaviors and emotions that suggest sentience. For example, nonhuman animals display empathy, joy, fear, pain, and the ability to form social bonds. These behaviors are often difficult to explain without assuming some level of conscious experience.
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Evolutionary Continuity
Evolutionary biology suggests that consciousness and sentience are not exclusive to humans but have evolved in various forms across the animal kingdom. This continuity of traits and behaviors related to consciousness implies that sentience is not unique to humans.
It is important to note that the extent of sentience may vary among different species, and ongoing research continues to refine our understanding of the cognitive and emotional capacities of nonhuman animals. However, at IASP we believe it is essential that we operate under the assumption that all nonhuman animals are sentient, and they all deserve better protection under the law.
Governor Polis Proclamation
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Prior Events
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Justice for Animals: Practical Progress through Philosophical Theory
On March 12, 2024, IASP welcomed noted philosopher, Dr. Martha Nussbaum, to speak during its inaugural event. During this talk, Dr. Nussbaum argued that an approach based on her version of the Capabilities Approach is the one we need to address nonhuman animal injustices, and she showed how it directs our efforts better than rival approaches.
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Protecting and Promoting Insect Welfare
On April 18, 2024, IASP, the Animal Law Program, and Butterfly Pavilion hosted an engaging symposium on insect welfare, sentience, and the importance of considering animal welfare across species. This event showcased the groundbreaking work of Dr. Meghan Barrett, an insect neuroethologist and the Director of the Insect Welfare Research Society; Dr. Bob Fisher, the Director of the Society for the Study of Ethics and Animals; and Dr. Richard Reading, Vice President of Science and Conservation at Butterfly Pavilion, a nonprofit that fosters an appreciation of invertebrates by educating the public about the need to protect and care for threatened habitats globally, while conducting research for solutions in invertebrate conservation.
Contact Us
If you would like to receive emails about IASP events and activities, please click the button below or email Animal Law Program Manager Jess Beaulieu at jessica.beaulieu@du.edu for more information.
Photos on this page were provided by We Animals Media.
Affiliated Faculty and Staff
Support
Supporting the Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection
IASP’s work is made possible by the sponsorship, generosity, and encouragement of donors. You can help support us directly by clicking the link below or by contacting Animal Law Program Manager Jess Beaulieu for more information about the various ways to contribute. Thank you for your consideration!
Click the button below to help support us today!
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Our Supporters
Initial seed funding from Robert Brinkmann, PhD, DVM, has laid the groundwork for the Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection, which will be bolstered by Brinkmann’s commitment to give his entire estate to IASP upon his passing.
Brinkmann has a long-held commitment to leaving a legacy in a field that has been important to him for many years. As the groundwork for IASP is laid, Brinkmann says he sees its goals as threefold: to examine the extent to which nonhuman animals across the whole animal kingdom experience meaningful emotional lives; to determine how humans can use our analytic capabilities to better fulfill our responsibilities to nonhuman animals; and to use societal mechanisms, including the justice system, to create pressures and incentives for people to act in nonhuman animals’ best interests.
