2017 Language And Inclusion For animals

Happy New Year Stronghearts! Last January I wrote about setting intentions for making the language we use to refer to animals more inclusive, for example always using “he,” “she” or “they” instead of “it” since as we all know, they are beings, not objects. Many of us already do this. This year I would like to take it a step further and have animals included and acknowledged in any situation where it would apply.

For example, on a personal level we can make sure to always include them when asked about our family. “How many kids do you have?” “I have five kids, two human, two dogs and one cat.” Or “Do you live alone?” “No, I live with my best friend Perry, who happens to be a dog.”

On a societal & cultural scale I would like to see animals always included when news is reported. Anytime there is a natural disaster we always hear on the news how many human lives were lost or saved. I notice & cringe at this omission every single time. It makes more sense to me to hear for example “the house was lost to flooding but rescue workers saved a family of three people and their two cats.” Or if a person does pass away- normally we say they leave behind a loving spouse, two kids etc. I believe we should include that they are survived by their loving and devoted dog. (And as a side note to that, it is always a good idea to have “god parents” for our animal companions so they are not taken to a shelter or abandoned if anything happens to us.)

There has been progress in the US since the disastrous events surrounding the 2005 hurricane Katrina in New Orleans when people were not allowed to evacuate with their companion animals. This tragic situation brought forth a lot of positive changes. We are not yet at the point where most people see it as the same if a human dependent versus a non-human dependent is abandoned, but it is getting better. It is up to those of us who already see animals as family to lead the way for many who possibly feel this way but are afraid to speak up. It made me happy to see Canadian North airlines evacuating interspecies families together to safety during the Fort McMurray wildfires last year. This was a beautiful example of “bending the rules” in an emergency to support interspecies families. I would like the rule to become that families must be kept together, regardless of species.

Finally, on a general (global) scale, I would like to see animals included in all the statements about making the world a better place. Humans tend to say things like “May there be peace for all people.” This is a lovely sentiment but to me it feels incomplete. I can’t help but notice what (or who) is missing. I prefer to hear “May there be peace for all” or “for all beings.” We often hear about environmental stewardship in relation to “leaving earth a better place for our grandchildren.” Again, this is a positive thing but what about leaving earth intact and better for all the inhabitants, not only for the human ones. It may feel wordy or strange at first, but if we take the lead and get used to saying “I want to help people and animals” instead of just “people” it will spread consciousness about this. Many of us already feel this way, we are simply not used to verbalizing it.

How we communicate makes a difference and can create social and eventually legal changes. I believe 2017 is going to be an amazing year for animals and for the people who love them!

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