PETA: STOP USING THE WORD ‘PET.’
Animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has a problem with the word “pet,” and wants you to stop using it.
Instead, the group says, dog owners should call themselves dog “guardians,” and pets should be “companion animals” — because how we describe our animals dictates how we treat them.
On Tuesday, Jennifer White of PETA went on leading U.K. television show Good Morning Britain, and in a combative segment with hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, urged people to think of alternatives, the Independent reports.
One of the main problems with the word “pet,” she said, is that it is patronizing to animals.
“A lot of people who have dogs or cats will call these animals pets and refer to themselves as owners and this implies that the animals are a possession, like a car for example,” she said, as Morgan spoke over her, saying “Oh for God’s sake!”
“When you refer to animals not as the living beings they are, it can reflect our treatment of these animals,” she continued. “Animals are their own individual beings.”
Dog owner Nick Ede, who didn’t share Smith’s view, said PETA was trivializing the good work it does to protect animals by concentrating on such banalities.
“You are being ridiculous and doing harm to your organization,” tweeted one pet owner. “Check the definitions: PET: An animal kept for companionship. PEST: A destructive animal that attacks crops, food or livestock. Are people using PETA funds for this charade?”
“For once, I actually agree with (Piers Morgan),” another tweeted. “Not being allowed to call your pet a pet is absolutely ridiculous.”
PETA, though, was unbowed, with its official account tweeting soon after the show: “As we come to learn more about animals it’s time we start phasing out harmful words that trivialize animal abuse or perpetuate this idea that animals are objects.”
PETA added: “The Journal of Animal Ethics published an academic paper on how derogatory words ‘pets’ or ‘pests’ affects the way we treat these animals. That’s why instead of ‘pets’ PETA recommends ‘companion animals’ and instead of ‘dog owner’ we say ‘dog guardian.’”
“They were always going to come for the pets eventually, weren’t they?” Morgan said, wondering aloud if phrases such as “let the cat out of the bag” and “onetrick pony” could also be under threat.
“Ponies aren’t here to do tricks for us,” Smith responded, as Morgan continually raised his voice above hers in the shouty clip.
According to online dictionaries, the word “pet” dates back to the 16th century. It refers to “a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.”