Apparently a debate has been raging that I never heard of–whether or not to refer to the keepers of a pet as either an owner or a guardian. The fine line of the terminology is apparently the degree of responsibility that one or another implies.
Now I don’t know about you, but the line is blurred for me. I guess that’s because I couldn’t fathom Chris choosing not to provide the necessary care for me whatever the circumstance. The use of either term doesn’t affect her moral obligation to me, for which I’m grateful.
There was an instance though when the term owner raised some questions. That was during that horrible pet food recall. I remember reading that when the lawsuits started, owners were going to be shocked to learn that pets, in the eyes of the law, are possessions and that owners could only hoped to be reimbursed for vet bills and replacement value of the pet. Replacement value, my eye! As if Chris could put a price on me, but there it is.
My take then is rather than a debate over owner, guardian, master, a more appropriate question to ask is how do humans view and place a value on their pets.
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