Bentham’s ethical framework is based on the principle of maximizing overall happiness

Jeremy Bentham argued that when we think about whether someone/something ought to count morally that " The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?" a.) Why would it make sense for a utilitarian like Bentham to make such a statement? b.) Do you think that he's right about the ability to suffer as what we ought to look at when we're thinking about whether someone/something counts morally? c.) If we took this seriously what would it mean for our treatment of non-human animals?