So there are a lot of questions here about animals and science.
Well, since the pseudo-scientist dawkins is allowed to shoot his mouth off about anything and everything under the sun because he is an "ethologist" than I think I have the right to do the same. You see,
ethologist means an animal trainer, basically the guy is a lion-tamer in a suit speaking under the name of science.
This guy is too limp-wristed to actually get inside of an animal, and only deals with them once they have been trained to perform tricks. As a result, he can form any conclusion about them based on the the way they have been trained.
The real truth of the animal is on the inside.
No, animals don't have souls. No they don't have feelings.
When you skin an animal alive, it makes noises, but that doesn't mean it feels "pain."
God created animals for us to do whatever we want with.
Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you;
Also we have to remember that animals are violent little buggers and sometimes need to be put to death:
Exodus 21:28-36 - If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox [shall be] quit.
Animals are here to tame and to kill. We can use their carcasses for anything we like:
Luke 10:19 - Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Not only are some animals violent, many of them are evil and need to be annhiliated. Some of them are demon-possessed:
Mark 5:13 - And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand and were choked in the sea.
When the owners of an animal are evil, than the animals deserves death as well:
Jeremiah 21:6 - And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
So next time you meet some hippy Peta(phile) queer at least you have your bible to teach them about what "rights" animals truly have.