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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Journal: Don’t Call Animals ‘Pets’

Item: Journal: Don't call your animals 'pets': Article calls for people to call 'pests' 'free-roaming' animals/KXLY

More Info: The Journal of Animal Ethics says calling the family dog a pet is simply derogatory. Instead, editors of the journal said owners should call their dogs and cats "companion animals." According to the article, the term '"pets,' whilst technically correct in law, harks back to a previous age when animals were regarded as just that: property, machines or things to use without moral constraint."

Question: Do you think it's derogatory to refer to your dog or cat as a "pet"?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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