What is a dog?

Per Florida law animals are property.  Now that doesn't mean that you can do whatever you like.  In the law there are standards of care defined to own then property.  People have the responsibility of proper care of the animal defined by the law and good animal husbandry practices.  If you believe that animals had right think of the legal quandary it could pose.  I guess that we are violating the animals right by enslaving them and forcing them to live with us and work with us in many siturations.  Maybe they should just all run free.
 
What if funny to me is that all these AR folks harp on the animals right yet they want to remove the animals most fundamental right given to it by nature.  The right to procreate and continue their species.
 
 

What if funny to me is that all these AR folks harp on the animals right yet they want to remove the animals most fundamental right given to it by nature. The right to procreate and continue their species.

 
Steve - even in nature, there is natural selection and where that isn't working well, man steps in (in the interest of the animal) to thin the herd.  I'm not sure that's a fair comparison, but I'd have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror and saying "well, we're killing hundreds or thousands of innocent dogs and cats everyday so they can all continue to do what they enjoy".  If the dogs and cats could voice their opinion, I'm not sure what it would be, but I doubt the mother of a litter of puppies or kittens would be pleased to see them taken away to the shelter and killed. 
 
I don't know the answer to how best to define a pet, but I absolutely believe that it is a responsibility and not just our responsibility to the pet, but to society.  None of us live alone on islands, so whether we like it or not, we have to consider the affects of our actions on others. 

Cool question.

In Boulder, Colorado, there is  a legal defination of the human/pet relationship as
guardians of companion animals. It is illegal to technically "own" a pet there.

For me, my two guys are my only kids, so they are family. I do get possessive of them, like I'm sure any parent of 2 legged kids would be, so in that sense I feel ownership (don't mess with my kids!). However I see my position as offering them the most safe, secure, healthy (physically & emotionally) life as long as I am priviliged to have them.

Now, in today's Taos News, there was an op-ed piece from a very fringe (in my opinion) person who argued passionately that micro-chipping dogs was against animal rights. I do draw the line there as I can't image any logical person not wanting an animal to be reunited as expeditiously as possible.

I dread the day guardianship takes over.
 
Then we'll have an entire agency to decide what constitutes proper care, feeding, education etc of the animal in question. They'll put forth xx vaccinations as necessary and less as "neglect" (titers won't matter then)...certain diets as proper and others (raw, homecooked) "neglect"...certain collars and training methods as approved and others (head collars, pinch collar, slip collars, etc) "abuse"...they'll say someone who has their dog put down because it is senile or has cancer,  is commiting an offense because they have the monetary means to support it (but perhaps not the will, emotional strength, and time to watch their friend deteriorate)...certain breeds eradicated because they are aberrations of nature, or their existence according to the agency causes hardship to the dog, as if they know, or their purpose is extinct (Dachshunds, Chihuahua, Corgis, Cresteds, Basetts, etc).
 
Oh yeah...looks great!
 
What your dog is to YOU....is a personal choice. For some they are children, for others family, for others a companion, for others a tool, for others a partner, etc.

That's why Boulder is often referred to as the "People's Democratic Republic of Boulder"!