No doubt that if there is a god, it would reason we were given brains for some reason. Fundies seem more interested in beleiveing in myths than using their brains to figure stuff out on their own.
I remember telling my mom about some people I hated. She pointed out that they were God's creations, so to hate them is to hate God. This has kind of stuck in my head, but with an atheist twist. All humans are part of your species, so to hate others is to hate yourself in some way.
Animals have evolved to fill ecological niches, and it can't always be determined what impact the elimination of any species might have on the world we live in. Therefore respecting all life is a good idea. Besides the study of animals teaches us about the world around us, and I would like to conserve what can be conserved for our future generations.