Should animals have more rights why or why not?

not enough of them

While animals deserve reasonable protection against abuse, they do not have legal "rights" in the same way humans do. The US courts have upheld the concept that with the granting of rights also comes the responsibility of duties. Since animals cannot reasonably be expected to carry out any duties, they are also accordingly denied rights.

This does not give humans any legal standing in cases of abuse. In the same way animals cannot have rights, humans DO have duties and responsibilities. Most US communities do not allow a person to have a poorly kept, extremely unkempt or dangerous residence; similarly, humans are not allowed to abuse animals to the point of starvation, thirst, disease, and/or death. While I am a firm believer in animal welfare, I do not believe animals have rights, nor should they.