ANIMAL ACTIVIST GROUP: `OWNERS' DON'T OWN PETS

ANIMAL ACTIVIST GROUP: `OWNERS' DON'T OWN PETS

SAN FRANCISCO (Wireless Flash) -- A San Francisco-based animal activist group wants to ban the word "owner" from being used to describe people who have pets. In its place, the more politically correct word "guardian" would be used. The group, called "In Defense of Animals," is now lobbying newspapers, city governments and other animal-oriented groups to follow suit. Founder Elliott Katz claims "owner" is an offensive word which allows humans to oppress animals much like the slave trade allowed the exploitation of blacks. In fact, he feels so strongly about the matter that he compares using the word `owner' to the use of the "N-word."