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Responsible Animal Guardian Month

February 16, 2015 29 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. You won't pay a penny more, but you'll help keep It's Dog or Nothing running (websites are expensive!) and the floofs fed (they're even more expensive - as you well know) ;)

Owner Never, Guardian Forever

Started by In Defense of Animals, February is Responsible Animal Guardian Month. During the month of February, we remind people to be a guardian, not an owner.

What makes a responsible animal guardian?

[pullquote width=”290″ float=”left”]A responsible animal guardian looks out for an animal’s physical, social, behavioral, and psychological needs.[/pullquote]
  • Grooming to ensure healthy skin and coat
  • Training to have a happy, stress-free life without behavioral issues
  • Regular vet visits to keep tabs on health
  • Healthy, nutritious food
  • Daily, breed appropriate exercise
  • Microchipping
  • Adopting only through responsible rescues/shelters and ethical breeders
  • Tending to emotional needs
  • Always treating with compassion
  • Reporting suspected abuse

Some fun facts about animal guardians:

  • 97% believe their pets understand them
  • 78% imagine what their pets would say and speak for them
  • 53% have taken off work at least once to take care of a sick pet
  • 70% of people sign their pet’s name on a greeting card
  • 58% include their pets in family/holiday portraits
  • 78% think of their pets as children
  • 84% display photographs of them

The use of the term “guardian” will ultimately end so much cruelty and abuse, and save so very many lives. – Dr. Elliot Katz, Founder of IDA

For more information about why you should be an animal guardian rather than an owner, watch the brief video below.

Convinced? Take the pledge to be a guardian and then comment below to tell me what makes YOU an animal guardian.

Filed Under: Pyr Paw Around, What's New Tagged With: cat, dog, guardian, in defense of animals, pet, responsible animal guardian month

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy Shojai, CABC says

    February 16, 2015 at 8:08 am

    Food for thought. I think until legal definitions are changed, there are issues with using some words as opposed to others, although in our hearts we know what we mean!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:38 pm

      I completely agree. Legal definitions are going to be a game-changer for all animals.

      Reply
  2. Peggy Frezon says

    February 16, 2015 at 8:31 am

    I like the term guardian, I also like pet parent. I feel my pets are part of the family, which is not to say that I treat them exactly like I would treat a human child. But I care for their physical, emotional and mental well-being, and also am bonded to them by love.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:39 pm

      I use pet parent as well. My husband and I even refer to each other as ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ in relation to the fluffies.

      Reply
  3. Christina Berry says

    February 16, 2015 at 9:07 am

    I agree with Peggy, I like the term “guardian”. I don’t like the word “owner” because, clearly, our pets are family so we don’t OWN them. I always say “I live with 2 dogs”, not “I OWN 2 dogs”. Being a guardian is so much more than being an owner, and I feel so very sorry for those pets who are OWNED and not treated as part of the family.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:42 pm

      I completely agree. There’s such a huge difference when you simply change the terminology.

      Reply
  4. Jen Gabbard says

    February 16, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Such a great topic – ever since France defined out pets as sentient beings a few years back I’ve been hoping we’d be quick to follow. It’s so apparent to many of us the complexities that go into our relationships with our pets – it really does beg for a term better than “owner.”

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:44 pm

      I was really hoping we would follow shortly after as well. I still have hope that it will change.

      Reply
  5. MattieDog says

    February 16, 2015 at 11:50 am

    This is a great topic – I lub dis discussion! Consciousness, awareness, feelings, emotions – these are things we value in one another, and should also value in every living creature!
    Mattiedog, A Little Dog Making a Big Difference in This World

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:44 pm

      You said it ‘pyrfectly’ 🙂

      Reply
  6. Elaine says

    February 16, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    This is a great discussion! I try to not get too caught up in PC terms, but rather focus on how people treat and care for their dogs.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:45 pm

      That is a very good point. Ultimately, kindness and compassion toward animals is what matters, but a language change can definitely push things in the right direction.

      Reply
  7. Susan Bewley says

    February 16, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    I love this! Saying that we own our pets really doesn’t seem…accurate. They are more like adopted children. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:46 pm

      Completely agree! My husband and I don’t have human kids, but we have two furry ones 🙂

      Reply
  8. Scott says

    February 16, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    This is such a great topic to bring to light! I much prefer the term “animal guardian” to the term owner. Pets are our fur-babies, and we are their parents/guardians. Never their owners. I own a car, a phone, and many other inanimate objects but never another living, breathing, species.

    Nice touch with the fun facts and the video. I enjoyed both! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:47 pm

      You said it 🙂 I really liked that facts because it showed we’re not the minority in the treatment of animals. Many others act the same way.

      Reply
  9. Jan K says

    February 16, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    I don’t care much for the term “owner” either, though I sometimes use it just out of habit. I am fine with pet parent or Mom for myself, but I guess not everyone likes that. I think guardian is a good term as well.
    I’ve taken off plenty of work to care for the pets, I’ve left work early and gone in late when taking them to appointments. I’ve also taken vacation from work when bringing home a new puppy, to have extra time to settle them in!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:48 pm

      We use parent, mom, and dad as well, but you’re right, not everyone likes that. The term ‘guardian’ is something I think everyone that cares about animals can get behind.

      Reply
  10. MyDogLikes says

    February 16, 2015 at 5:40 pm

    I think it is our responsibility to be our pets guardian and like you point out its multi-faceted. We all have to do our best and always try to be better!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:49 pm

      There are SO many facets to being an animal guardian and it is incredibly worth it <3

      Reply
  11. Susan and the gang from Life with Dogs and Cats says

    February 16, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    I never use the word “owner” to describe my relationship with my pets. I no more own them than I own my human children. I like the idea of “guardian.”

    –Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 16, 2015 at 5:49 pm

      Guardian definitely describes our relationship with our pets in a much better way.

      Reply
  12. Lauren Miller says

    February 16, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    I love this! I do the same thing and we also refer to each other as mom and dad. I have a friend who makes fun of people like me and all the other “furmoms” out there and it always hurts my feelings. I definitely consider them family and I much prefer the term guardian over owner.

    Reply
  13. Robin says

    February 16, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    I love the idea of using the term “guardian.” It is kind of weird to say that you own your pets. It is technically correct to say that, but it doesn’t really encompass the relationship that exists between people and their pets. I think of my cats as being my kids and myself as being a pet parent. I must admit that I’m very protective too.

    Reply
  14. Heather Lynn says

    February 16, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    I really love the facts about guardians! Most of those apply to me. This is a great post!

    Reply
  15. Pawesome Cats says

    February 17, 2015 at 2:05 am

    Interesting discussion – although actions and behaviours and how people ultimately treat their pets are more important to me than a legal definition.

    Reply
  16. Jenna,Mark “HuskyCrazed” Drady says

    February 17, 2015 at 8:55 am

    Fantastic post!!!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

    Reply
  17. Teresa Rutledge says

    October 23, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    Part of it is cultural. I saw a post where a Russian had supposedly had his Sphynx cat decoratively tattooed, not I.D. tattooed. I showed it to a co-worker, I was appalled, she shrugged it off as the cat was his property. Dog and cock fighting still happen. Until those attitudes change, that humans work with animals, not have dominion over them, you won’t get anywhere. Look how long it took men to decide that women had enough brains to run a home, vote, and work.

    Reply

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