owner or guardian?

But first and foremost I am the pack leader in my house and with other dogs I look after.

Mike

I am daddy to Luna and I would say I was her owner.

When I dog sit / walk other people’s dogs at work I am the guardian. I look after that dog as if my own but give it back at the end of the day.

Mike

as far as i'm concerned i'm mum to all my animals and that's how everyone refers to me. Its been funny sometimes through as in the past i have had animals called Luke Skywalker & Ananakin Skywalker & 1 of my rabbits at the moment is called ROBBIE WILLIAMS!!!!!!!!!

I am referred to as Cara, Brooke, mintys mum by almost everyone, including myself.
I do regard myself as being their owner though. I bought them, i feed them, i clean up tons and tons of poo! I pay for vets, insurance, I feed them, exercise them look after them, spoil them and love them. So yes, i am afraid, I own them. I don't think it matters to them tho' as long as they are happy and well cared for I don't suppose they really care.
If owning something means that they are our slaves then I am with Vena on that one, it must mean that they own me :-)

Thanks Robert, l see what you mean,
although l chose the word 'owner 'over 'guardian' l look at it as a matter of speech only, not in any other meaning ,and my pets have never been thought of as 'objects' as for them being the slaves,!! its ME that's there slave.

I refer to myself as their mum and infact most of my vets have also referred to me as their mum! I think that, for me, means that they aren't just an object I have bought but more part of my family (well it's only me and the dogs!) and therefore having more of a parental/guardian role over them rather than being a slave, which is what an owner implies when referred to a living thing!

You'd be surprised how often the subject comes up in general conversation Vena. Bear in mind that a consult takes an hour, that's a lot of time for talking. It's difficult to talk about relationships between the pet and it's owner (guardian) without mentioning it. Then there's all the forms for consent, vaccinations, contact details etc which all have the word "owner" on them.
I personally use owner, but then I'm a bit old fashioned and not too concerned about being PC all the time. Most of the vets in the US, who I talk with or correspond, with use guardian.

Hi Robert, lm confused as 'vet' to why you need to use the terms 'owner' or 'guardian' anytime a vet has had to ring or speak to me ,they have always used just my name and said its about (whoever).

Thanks for reminding me Vena - remember I wrote " Dr. Duane Flemming, a lawyer and owner of a veterinary ophthalmology practice in Pleasant Hill, Calif., believes that by changing the legal terminology, animal rights groups such as IDA are laying the groundwork for an eventual legal challenge to the status of pets as property.

"There is an underlying goal here, and that is to attain standing at court," Dr. Flemming explained, while noting that animal rights groups have so far been unsuccessful in their attempts to sue for the interest of an animal.

"You have to do that outside the property laws," Dr. Flemming continued. "So if you can get the language changed from 'owner' to 'guardian,' then you've got a greater chance at getting one of these cases before a court and (arguing) that it's the interests of the animal that need to be protected, not the interest of the owner."

There are implications for the practice of veterinary medicine, too. Tinkering with the legal status of pets might make veterinarians vulnerable to malpractice suits brought by aggrieved owners and lawyers all too eager to cash in on an overemphasis on the human-animal bond. . ."

I like to think I'm their mum! I still treat them in the way that dogs and cats should be treated, otherwise they would be miserable, but I think a lot more of them than that!

I think I agree with Vena, I've always used the word owner, but I don't read too much into it, as in assuming that anyone using 'owner' is on a power trip, or anyone using 'guardian' is crackers. I sort of consider my animals my babies, I'm like their parent. That way, they're not below humans (God knows they're better than most), but they do have to do as they're told.

The Ed also brought this up, if you go to January's blogs its under, Are Pets Property???

This is quite a controversial and complicated subject, the word 'guardian' was introduced by an extreme animal rights group, but the word 'guardian' is used more in human terms. l think we may get confused at the boundaries between ourselves and our pets, as having human thoughts, needs ect: and people who humanize their dogs to much often have problems training them, so l think ld prefer to be called the owner.!
l would like to say also, that l look to my pets as part of the family but not as humans.