Within the past 30 years, the treatment of animals in various areas of human use has emerged as a new social ethical issue. Society’s moral concern has outgrown the traditional ethic of animal cruelty that began in biblical times and is law in civilized societies. There are five main factors, which have caused the emergence of this new social concern. Most importantly, is the emergence of industrial agriculture, which has replaced husbandry-based agriculture. The rise of industrial agriculture has threatened the contract between humans and animals and has resulted in an increase in animal suffering. The existing laws against animal cruelty do not cover the routine suffering that food animals must endure. Therefore, in order to express social concerns regarding animals, a new ethic for animals was required. The ethic for humans has been used as an example for the development of the ethic for animals. The development of laws that ensure the rights of animals has surfaced as a possible vehicle for reform. Otherwise, traditional methods of animal husbandry should return in order to correct the problems created by industrialization.