Guest Post from Rex the Dog

In 1999, In Defense of Animals, an animal rights organization, started a campaign to replace the term "pet owner" with "pet guardian," nationwide. Since, the campaign has made tons of friends and certain city municipal codes have been revised with the updated term.

Not everyone is sold on the idea but, hey, if it's gonna make my owners, err, guardians, let me sleep inside at night, take me to the vet for regular check ups and vaccinations, and take me for walks each day, I'm all for it! In turn, I promise not to sue them for not refreshing my water regularly, feeding me dry food when I much prefer the wet gooey stuff that melts in my mouth, or not giving me frosty paws EVERY night.

Could this be another turning point in animal welfare? What was the first? Refering to local animal shelters as "shelters" rather than "pounds," of course. Pound, from the term impound, as in "we're gonna impound that dog in a dirty cage without any human contact, walks or care," is thankfully gone, for the most part. Now we use the term shelter, as in "we're gonna give that dog shelter in a clean run with lots of love, walks and care until we are able to locate his owner or find him a new home." Whew, glad that change went national!

So, if changing the way you people speak will change the way you act towards me, I say, why stop there? From now on I'm no longer Rex, the dog -- call me Rex, the Canine American.

Woof!