Dogs are pets, no matter what PETA says
You may love and care for the animals in your home, but if you dare make the mistake of calling them a pet, you’re apparently taking part in derogatory behaviour. It’s barking mad, writes Lucy Carne.
Rendezview
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We once got robbed and the thieves trashed our house – every book thrown on the floor, drawers and cupboards emptied, pictures pulled off the walls.
Our dog – a wheaten Cairn terrier called Max – was also missing.
The detective warned us that with a robbery so severe, we should prepare for the possibility that the offenders may have killed our dog.
A police officer searched the garden for his body.
But then we received a phone call from someone three streets away asking us to please come and get Max as he’d eaten two trays of chipolata sausages and was refusing to leave.
That was Max. A pathetic guard dog.
The moment those robbers smashed through our back door, he would have shot past them to freedom with a “thanks, fellas” wag of his tail before roaming the neighbourhood in search of free food and hopefully some cats to harass.
He wasn’t a loyal dog.
The only way to enter our house was to squeeze through a tiny gap in our front door, otherwise he’d bolt. I spent hours sprinting laps of our street trying to catch him, including one night in my high school formal dress.
Max also wasn’t friendly. He once trotted up to a woman sunbaking on the beach, cocked his leg and pissed on her.
He was arrogant, stubborn and a total pain.
He survived two encounters with cane toads and numerous vehicle near misses, but in the end it was the genetic curse of the pure breed that got him: cancer.
He couldn’t walk, but when we entered the vet’s room to say goodbye, he dragged himself to his feet and gave us his cheeky smile.
I remember the fluoro lights, lino floor and gently stroking him as he slipped away.
Despite all his annoying behaviour, I had, as Rudyard Kipling wrote, given my heart to a dog to tear.
But we didn’t have Max for his protective skills, devotion or charm. He was ours and we were also his.
It may be 14 years since he died, but I would love to chase after that bloody terrier one more time.
That is the joy and pain of pets – they leave their paw print permanently on our hearts.
But of course, we’re not to call them pets anymore, as it’s offensive to their furry ears.
That’s according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) president Ingrid Newkirk, who announced last week that pet is a derogatory word and should not be used.
The animal activist also declared that referring to an animal as a “pet” held the same discrimination as calling women “sweetie” or “honey”, the Express newspaper reported.
“Animals are not pets,” she said. “They are not your cheap burglar alarm, or something which allows you to go out for a walk. They are not toys, they are living beings.”
PETA spokeswoman Jennifer White reinforced the group’s discomfort with the word “pet,” telling Good Morning Britain that it should be replaced with “more inclusive” terms like “companion” and “human carer.”
“A lot of people at home who have dogs or cats will call them pets and refer to themselves as owners and this implies that the animals are a possession, like a car for example,” White said.
“When you refer to animals not as the living beings as they are but as an inanimate object, it can reflect our treatment on these animals.”
The utter ridiculousness of this attempt at non-discriminatory language overshadows genuine issues of animal harm and neglect.
Next they’ll be proposing Petxit to gauge whether our pets want to remain in our homes.
People who abuse animals will not stop their depraved behaviour just because a noun has been changed.
So what is the point of patronising the two thirds of Australia’s households who own pets?
Surely there are more pressing issues for PETA, like dogs left in hot cars or bat soup?
Picking on the term pet is petty and redundant. The word is defined by the Macquarie Dictionary as “any domesticated or tamed animal that is cared for affectionately”.
Companion feels far more demeaning. It implies disconnection and obligation, as though someone is being paid to spend time with you.
That is offensive to all the doting and responsible pet owners, who devote our lives to loving and chasing after our beloved animals.
Anyone who knows the unwavering affection of a dog, the calming purr of a cat, the hilarious squeak of a guinea pig knows that ‘pet’ is a hallowed word filled with loyalty, love and heartbreaking loss.
So, PETA, please, don’t try to redefine our bond with our family members. It’s barking mad.
Lucy Carne is editor of Rendezview.com.au
Originally published as Dogs are pets, no matter what PETA says