May is Animal Guardian Month

Annual Event Highlights Service to our Animal Companions

San Rafael, Calif.—May is “Animal Guardian Month,” an annual event since 2003 dedicated to serving our animal companions. Animal Guardian Month is part of In Defense of Animals’ Guardian campaign, begun in 1999, which urges use of the term “guardian” rather than “owner” when we speak about animals. According to IDA President Dr. Elliot M. Katz, “It is time to see and treat the animals who share our lives as more than mere commodities, property and things.”

This grassroots movement grew out of a collective national desire to recognize animals as individual sentient beings and to thus modify the language we use to describe our relationship with them. Actress Mary Tyler Moore is just one of many celebrities endorsing the campaign: "I like [the] term guardian as opposed to master or owner. It is an honor that is bestowed on some of us and we need to treat it that way.”

Over five million U.S. citizens are officially recognized as “animal guardians” by their communities. The latest cities to officially adopt the term “guardian” in city ordinances are San Jose, Calif., the 10th largest city in the country, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “It is my sincere belief that the result of increased numbers of people thinking and acting as ‘guardians’ of their animal companions will lead to fewer cases of abuse, neglect and abandonment, and to fewer animals being killed in our nation’s shelters,” states Carl Friedman, Director, San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control.

People working in animal protection and humane education have embraced the “guardian” language and see it as a stepping stone to changing behaviors, especially in children. “The term ‘guardian’ accurately describes the relationship of perpetual care that is needed to teach children respect, compassion and kindness for domestic pets. Studies show that children who learn compassion and respect for animals have a better chance at becoming compassionate adults, responsible community members, and are less likely to behave violently towards others,” states Edwin J. Sayres, President, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

To mark Animal Guardian Month, IDA suggests volunteering for local animal shelters or helping an elderly or disabled neighbor care for an animal. Other suggestions include offering a ride to the vet, arranging a play-date for a house-bound dog, offering to give an itchy dog an oatmeal bath, grooming a friend’s long-haired cat, or hoisting a box of heavy cat litter for an elderly person. “Hopefully, making this a habit will extend to regular interactions with other people and other animals,” Dr. Katz says, adding that “many animals could greatly benefit from the additional care and attention.”

Please visit www.guardiancampaign.org for more information.