The rising interest of Human Animal Studies (HAS) within academia is linked to the animal protection movement, debate, and interest in animals as a subject worthy of philosophical and ethical inquiry (DeMello, 2012). The moral considerations of animal welfare were highlighted by two humanistic philosophers, Singer (1975) – Animal Liberation, and Regan (1983) – The Case for Animal Rights. They raised concerns around factory farming, especially in relation to excessive usage of crates to house animals, such as pigs, indoors. The intense confinement practices in agriculture, in the 1970s, raised public awareness on animal welfare in the 1980s and led to further exploration in this area through the study of human-animal relationships (Shapiro, 2020).
