I talked yesterday with a veteran agriculturalist who used the term "companion animal" as a substitute for "pet."
That's not uncommon. A lot of smart people think companion animal better reflects the close ties between animal and human. The term is often used by veteriarians, a group for whom I have great respect.
But there are other smart people who think pet is perfectly fine and acceptable.
And there are at least a few smart people who think pet is OK for some animals, while companion animal is preferable for others.
I don't have a pet/companion animal, so I have no personal stake in this. And I have zero interest in snarky comments that ridicule people who use one term or the other.
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But I am a guy who likes words and wants to use them correctly. And I like agriculture.
Animals are important to many Agweek readers as livestock or pets/companion animals or both. So I'd appreciate your thoughts on the best/right term to use.
