Animals might not be “bad”, but they aren’t “good” either. That’s okay – they lack the capability to be any better than they are. Only humans, and especially Jews, are expected to be “good”.
I actually quite disagree with you, RebYidd. I find it extremely insulting when someone calls a group of Jews “animals”, as if to imply that they never employ their Yetzer HaTov and are complete slaves to their basest natures. I find it difficult to view such as anything other than Motz’ei Shem Ra – l’Mehadrin.