Abstract
Human dignity is at the heart of the project of safeguarding and developing conventional fundamental rights. Dignity was conceived by the European Court as the foundation and purpose of the human person. However, the human person is no longer the only one to be the subject of protection, the Court having gradually integrated the question of the protection of animals in particular. If some authors wish to extend the concept of dignity to animals, the study will demonstrate that it is currently neither possible (de lege lata) nor desirable (de lege ferranda) to make this paradigm shift.