Words for Animals: How Language Shapes Care

Send us Fan MailThis episode of The Resilient Animal, explores how everyday language about animals—pronouns, labels, euphemisms, and idioms—shapes perception. It argues that calling animals “it” can frame them as objects, while choosing “he,” “she,” or singular “they” can acknowledge them as subjects, especially when uncertainty about consciousness exists. It critiques “owner” as a property-based term and suggests “guardian,” “caretaker,” or “I live with” to emphasize responsibility and care, while noting legal concerns. The script urges replacing euphemisms like “put to sleep” with “humane euthanasia,” and “fixed” with “spay” or “neuter,” and highlights agricultural euphemisms such as “processing” and “harvesting.” It introduces speciesism and examines dismissive terms like “pest” and “just an animal,” then encourages swapping violent animal idioms for nonviolent alternatives through steady, non-performative practice.00:00 Why Words Matter02:19 Pronouns and Personhood06:45 From Owner to Guardian12:19 Euphemisms and Honesty18:19 Everyday Speciesism23:37 Idioms and Casual Violence28:21 Practice and Closing Thoughtshttps://www.instagram.com/resilientanimal/https://www.facebook.com/TheResilientAnimalhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-human-animal-bond-studies/