Why should we care about this?
Our role as protectors
If a human has ever thought about his existence and the motive for being alive, he should have reach the main point of: "I'm alive to make something, to make any difference in the world."
Based on this focal idea of making the difference, and being part of something that really matters, the human species evolves daily, trying to achieve that goal. We improve our health, our society, our technology, our relations, our rights, our thoughts. Basically we improve the meaning of our own lives.
But, if the answer for the most important question was as simple as taking care of the ones in need regardless of who that one should be?
Did you ever questioned yourself about the motives of us being vastly more intelligent and complex beings than every creature that lives in our planet and why not in the universe as we know till now?
Maybe the reason for that is the same answer for our existence. To help. With great powers comes great responsibilities and so, is humans beings' duty to use its "powers" correctly. That's why we should care about the animals, because is our responsibility to improve their lives, to help them, to use our intelligence to make our planet a better place for every life that exists on it.
