There's a current court case in NY which is hearing that question right now. The precise issue is the continued captivity of two chimpanzees, (Leo and Hercules, names bestowed by humans) in a medical research laboratory at Stony Brook University.
I suggest that the application has some merit. Are not all of us "animals?" And, chimpanzees are provably related to humans with very a close genetic picture. They generally have an intelligence similar to a younger child, and can be taught to communicate.
So what's your take on the application?