Which of Fraser's four practical ethics is represented by minimizing harms we cause to animals?

• A. Respect traditional relational ethics that allow people and animals to live in sustainable relationships
• B. Provide good lives for all animals, domestic or wild, that we take into our care
• C. Be mindful of harms we cause, intentional and unintentional, and minimize them as much as possible
• D. Protect the life-sustaining processes and balances of nature

Answer: (C)

Minimizing harm to animals is about recognizing the negative effects our actions can have and actively reducing them as much as possible. It means being mindful of both deliberate actions and unintended consequences, and making decisions that lessen pain, distress, and suffering whenever animals are involved. In practice, this guides us to use the least invasive methods, seek alternatives to procedures that cause harm, apply proper analgesia or anesthesia when needed, and stop practices when suffering cannot be adequately minimized. This focus on reducing harm differs from emphasizing the overall welfare of all animals in our care, which is about ensuring good lives for those we manage. It also differs from relational ethics, which centers on sustainable, lived relationships between humans and animals, and from protecting life-sustaining natural processes, which targets ecosystems and their balance rather than harm to individual animals. So the principle about being mindful of harms and minimizing them encapsulates a precautionary, harm-reduction approach across our interactions with animals.