WT Lexicon of Terms For a More Enlightened World:

While we Dogs may have some difficulty forming word sounds, I can assure you that we hear and understand words very clearly. Whether you Woof, Meow, Hoot or speak English words, WoofTracks is the very special place where mutual respect gives feelings and thoughts the power of words, a place where all creatures who emote can find understanding.  But as we communicate, we are finding the need to come up with new terms to use on this site, new words that show our respect for all Species. We are also choosing not to use other terms that seem to have disrespect built into them. 

For example, consider the word “pet”.  “Pet” implies “ownership” of an Animal, usually by a Human.  But the fact is that no one Feeling Being  “owns” another: Ownership of one Species by another is a misperception that invites feelings of superiority that are both false and disrespectful.  No one Feeling Creature is “superior” to another, regardless of size, Species, or ability: All of us are one in Life Spirit (no religious connotations of any kind implied here).  Here at WoofTracks, Humans are fellow creatures: Creatures don’t “own” each other; they care for one another, each to the extent of their special abilities.  Humans may be considered to “own” an Animal in a court of law, but that is an artificial place where Humans settle disputes, not a real place like WoofTracks, where all feeling creatures are equally respected.  We have come up with the term “Significant Human” to designate those special Humans who provide care for other creatures and with whom we may choose to live, but enlightened SHs do not feel they “own” Animals; rather, Animals and SHs mutually choose to be LifeMates.  No one at WoofTracks “owns” anyone else: This is a “No-Own Zone”.

All who come here to WoofTracks are encouraged to help us expand and update our Lexicon by suggesting, through comments emailed to and published on this blog, terms of enlightenment that will help all Feeling Creatures to better understand and respect one another.

                                                                                …WebWoof, Editor-in-Chief

                                                   WoofTracks Lexicon

Animal Lover - A term of respect for all who love and respect Animals.

Anthropomorphic - Unenlightened Pet Owners (see below) often deride true Animal Lovers as

             being "anthropomorphic" for seeing caring Human attributes in "lower" animals.

Feeling Beings - All creatures who have feelings and can emote.

Forever Home - When an Animal chooses to ReHome with a Significant Human, he or she seeks

             a Forever Home.                  

Free Spirit – The heart and soul of all living, feeling beings.  No religious connotations of any                  kind are implied in this term: Each Feeling Being who comes here to WoofTracks is                       free to interpret this term in whatever way he or she wishes.

Humane – We have chosen to ban this misnomer from use on theWoofTracks site.

While we understand that the term is supposed to mean having tenderness and compassion for those who suffer, we object to its inference that to be “humane” is to behave like Humans!  While many Humans are very loving and compassionate, other Humans throughout history have been shown to be uncaring, exploitative, or even cruel  to other Species.  In many instances, Animals show greater compassion than Humans, both for one another and for Humans.  Therefore, we will substitute the words “compassionate”, “kind” and “caring” for this misleading term, “humane”.

Inter-Species – Self-explanatory, very useful term in the WoofTracks philosophy.

LifeMates - This term is courtesy of Judy Bredin-Graham, Director of the Saint Bernard Rescue of NE; 64 Tanbark Road; Sudbury MA 01776-2659.  Example: Animals and Significant Humans mutually choose to be LifeMates.

Pet - When this term is used to imply “ownership” of an Animal, usually by a Human,

this term is banned from use on WoofTracks.  Examples: "We own three Pets",

“My Pets are all purebreds”, etc. However, this term can be used here to refer to “Pet Products”, “Pet Food”, etc., because unfortunately the term “pet” is already in such wide use that even true Animal Lovers use it for quick common reference.

Pet Owner -

Sentient Beings – A fancy term for Feeling Beings. We prefer the latter.

Sentient Creatures - Same as “Sentient Beings”.

Significant Human  (SH) - Those special Humans who choose to provide love and care for other             Feeling Creatures as LifeMates.  Add an “m” or “f” for male or female, as follows:

            SHm, SHf.