no more pets

[Jonathan Lighter]

PETA has been plumping for "companion animal," as the "correct" term for any
pet, for many years.

JL

On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 12:34 AM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: no more pets
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I see... but you may continue to refer to your sex slaves as your "pets".
>
> Actually, "companion animal" is quite distinct from "pet". The ideas is
> that
> these animals perform either a therapeutic or assisting function, e.g.,
> "guide dogs" for the blind. I am not sure that this is where the CNN story
> was going--but if they weren't aiming there, they are idiots.
>
> VS-)
>
> On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 11:27 PM, David Barnhart <dbarnhart at highlands.com
> >wrote:
>
> >
> > I just saw a little story on CNN about the political incorrectness of the
> > term _pet_ meaning an animal kept as a companion.
> >
> >
> >
> > My cat is still the family pet.  We didn't get her at a _pet shop_.  We
> do
> > not engage a _pet sitter_ to do _pet sitting_ who would keep her bowl
> full
> > of _pet food_.  She does not seem to need _pet therapy_ at the direction
> of
> > a _pet therapist_.  Nor will she go to a _pet cemetery_.  Nor would we
> > replace her with a _pet rock_.  Somehow _companion_ doesn't seem to fit
> as
> > neatly.
> >
> >
> >
> > DKB
> >
> >
>
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