Advocating obnoxiously is not a crime. You will hear that Kevin was very passionate about animal rights - treating animals with kindness and respect and without unnecessary cruelty. Kevin is being persecuted for these very beliefs.

Right now, animals are generally considered property. Animals do not have rights in the sense that humans have rights.

Animal-rights advocates remind us of this admonition: The ways in which people treat animals will be reflected in how people relate to one another.

It's a tradition that continues, and yet we have opposition from groups that think that animals should have equal rights to human beings, and that's probably the biggest threat we have. Other than that, I think there is general acceptance that we need to have wildlife, we need to have outdoor recreation of all kinds.

I have developed a deep respect for animals. I consider them fellow living creatures with certain rights that should not be violated any more than those of humans.

I don't think you should hurt or kill animals just to entertain an audience. Animals should have some rights. But there are a lot of directors, including Ingmar Bergman, who will injure animals to further a plot. I will have none of it.