Speaking as an animal lover (and occasional activist), compassion for all forms of life is important, and that's what I hear Thieme articulating. Undoubtedly the luxury to extend compassion to animals is a rich-country issue, but it's not an exclusive gesture; people who care for animals almost always extend that compassion to people first. I'll wager that animal rights activists are also typically well-informed and involved in ways to alleviate suffering for people in other (or local) parts of the world.