Appreciating Our Animal Family Member
 by Mat Thomas, In Defense of Animals

I don't know who I would be today if Duffy had not been an integral part of my childhood. Duffy was my family's first dog, a shaggy gray-white terrier mutt we adopted from an animal shelter when I was about three years old. He was my best friend, always seeming to understand exactly what I was feeling and why. Our emotional bond only grew stronger with time, and I often went to him for comfort when I felt sad or lonely. Duffy taught me much about the power of love, for which I will be forever grateful to him, and to my animal-loving parents for treating him like family.

I'm not alone in having strong feelings for animals. Americans share their homes with more than 100 million dogs and cats, and most consider their animal companions full-fledged family members. The results of a national survey commissioned by In Defense of Animals (IDA) and conducted in 2005 by the Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research & Education Promoting Animal Welfare (FIREPAW, Inc.) provide statistical evidence for this claim. The survey studied people's perceptions of IDA's Guardian Campaign, which aims to replace the term animal "owner" with "guardian" because it more accurately represents the important place that animals hold in people's lives and families. Of the hundreds of survey respondents, the vast majority – 78% – self-identified as either "guardians" or "owner/guardians." Survey responses indicated that these individuals were far more likely than self-defined "owners" to treat animal companions as members of the family through such actions as allowing them to live indoors with the rest of the family, celebrating their birthdays, signing their names on greeting cards alongside those of other family members, including their pictures in family photo albums, and taking them along on family outings and vacations. In addition, "guardians" were more likely than "owners" to see animal companions as individuals with distinct personalities and emotional needs rather than mere possessions that can be ignored or discarded at their "master's" discretion. 

When we take animals into our homes, we are responsible for their health, happiness and welfare, much as parents are expected to meet the basic physical and emotional needs of their dependent children. For our animal companions, this means we must commit to a lifetime of care, provide them with nutritious food and clean water, give them shelter from the elements (and not force them to live at the end of a chain) and opportunities for exercise, show them love and affection, and ensure they receive regular veterinary care. As guardians, we also have an obligation to spay or neuter our animal companions to reduce the number of cats and dogs who are euthanized in shelters every year. 

Today, as you can see, I have my own little "family." I am fortunate to share my life and my home with Zelda and Jasmine, two very special cats who teach me every day what it means to be a guardian. 

To learn more about IDA's Guardian Campaign and the FIREPAW survey, visit www.guardiancampaign.com. 

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