Owner or Guardian
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Guess they are going the PC route by saying that dogs are not property but mearly "evolutionaly challenged friends".
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| Funny -- when I saw the topic I thought "oh does someplace have have guardians??"
In Boulder, they changed the law to establish "guardians" in 1999. It is meant to convey that you are custodian for the care of your pet, not the owner of a piece of property. It is supposed to promote empathy and compassion. It does not actually change the law that treats animals as property, however. It has gained wide acceptance as a term. It is on all the Veterinary forms and people refer to themselves as guardians pretty routinely. It feels a bit shameful to refer to onself as "owner." |
| That's fascinating! It really shows the power of language though that a slight shift can mean something completely different. I would, however, think that it would be hard to make the switch. I don't view my dogs as "property" but sometimes I still call an "administrative assistance" a secretary so making the change is hard. How neat though. Is it true with all pets in CO? |
| At first I didn't like it, but as I'm sitting here and thinking about it.... maybe I do.
At first I felt it was "a taking of property rights" and PC, but then I thought about it from the other side a bit. We DO have a special relationship with our pets. I have previously felt there ought to be special property rules when it comes to animals. An animal has emotional value beyond the market price. Maybe this is the right way to look at it. Not only do we have a sopecial attachment to our pets, but also have a special duty to them and responsibility for them. We have a duty to properly care for them, and repsonsibility for their actions should we not properly control their actions. Thinking about it this way puts me in a whole different mindset. Suddenly I'm not so upset with the strong-arm tactics of the animal police. Of course if we continue down this road, some may begin to argue that euthanasia (or tail docking) is immoral... hmmmmmmm.... Thanks for making me think! |
| That is awesome! It raises their status from property you can shove around to a living being you are in charge with. I'm sorry to hear that the laws haven't changed, but it's a start. I'm sure that in time laws will change too in time.
Here in our city they passed the first animal care ordinance that requires you to proved basic needs for your pets, such as water, shelter and food. Here in Mexico the situation is tough for a lot of dogs, since they are property you can dispose of when no longer needed/loved. |
| The thought comes to mind of St. Francis, who often referred to his animal friends as brother fox or sister squirrel. I think the idea is consistent with the idea of stewardship: care of the creatures given to us by God, and the realization that if we mistreat them we must answer to Him. |
| The reasoning is very cool! |
| I'm very confused...
My kids believe they own me! 
Does that make them my guardian? Or am I a dependent?  |
| Exactly - the word conveys a heightened responsibility to care for our pets better than we might care for our cars, etc.
In fact, the Humane Society here is famously well-endowed and has tons of community support. New facilities were built and they are gorgeous -- much nicer than most of the kennels people pay to keep their dogs in. The abundance of volunteers leads to alot of jokes about how tired the dogs are by the time they get to their new homes. They are now offering training programs for the problem dogs that are in their care and those training sessions continue after the dog is placed with his or her new family to help the dogs adjust. They also provide training classes for other dogs, included innovative classes like "around town" where you dog learns how to handle city life; "On the Trail" for hiking off-leash, as well as advanced obedience and agility. And they they also sponsor Yappy Hours for all dogs and their humans in the community. Plus they have a great retail store for pet supplies and a thrift store for everything else. Also, the Humane Society here helped bring charges against a guardian that left her dog to die in the car on a very hot day. The penalties aren't enough but at least there were charges brought. http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/ju ... ted-death/ http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/ju ... -in-a-car/ It is amazing to be in a place where the Humane Society is someplace you go willingly to participate in great acitivities, shopping, training classes, etc. It is an incredible resource that is well-regarded and much appreciated. I think that all goes hand in hand with the ethos that was behind the guardian terminology. |
simm2zoo wrote: I'm very confused...
My kids believe they own me! Does that make them my guardian? Or am I a dependent?  |
| LOL. I think there are a few people here who believe their sheepies own them. . . . |
| An elderly gentleman friend of mine used to say:
"You own a dog for six month; then they own you." As I get older, it's nice to have two sheepies who greet you in the morning and remind you its time to get up for breakfast. When I tell them I'm going potty, they both lead me to the bathroom, then wait outside until I'm done. At supper time we eat together; they always stop by to sniff my plate to make sure everything is OK before they go to their own bowels; and Maggie won't touch her food until I sit down at the table. |
George wrote: The thought comes to mind of St. Francis, who often referred to his animal friends as brother fox or sister squirrel. I think the idea is consistent with the idea of stewardship: care of the creatures given to us by God, and the realization that if we mistreat them we must answer to Him.
I really love this reasoning. When I talk to people about our dogs and the way we treat them (Living inside and having a bed is HIGH standards for Mexico... sadly) this is what I tell them: Our dogs have an unbreakable bond of trust to the family, and they will give their life for any of us if asked to. How would you repay a friend with that commitment? |
| By neutering him, of course.
(Oh, I'm on a roll...) |
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