Answer: An entity has moral status if and only if it or its interests morally matter to some degree for the entity’s own sake.
Step-by-step explanation:
An entity has moral status if and only if it or its interests morally matter to some degree for the entity’s own sake. For instance, an animal may be said to have moral status if its suffering is at least somewhat morally bad, on account of this animal itself and regardless of the consequences for other beings.