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What moral duties do we have to animals? Kant’s response is "... so far as animals are concerned, we have no direct duties. ... Our duties towards animals are merely indirect duties towards humanity." (notes) Kant view is that animals instruments for us to use. Therefore we have no direct moral duties to animals. Our duties towards animals are “merely indirect duties towards humanity.” (notes) This means we have an indirect duty to treat animals in such a way that it is morally good for humanity. Some people may think that Kant is advocating animal cruelty or minimizing its impact. Kant, however is not condoning violence towards animals, he condemns the action. Kant says "If a man shoots his dog because the animal is no longer capable of service, he does not fail in his duty to the dog … but his act is inhuman and damages in himself that humanity which it is his duty to show towards mankind. ... We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." (RT 190) Kant’s view proves that the act of killing the dog is not morally wrong, in and of it self. Killing the dog is wrong because of the impact it has on the way we treat other humans. Kant views our treatment of animals as ref