Wanaque, New Jersey, became the first municipality in that state to pass a resolution declaring that pet owners are to be referred to as “guardians.”
Wanaque borough attorney Anthony Fiorello told The Record of Bergen County that the resolution was intended to be entirely symbolic,
It has no legal implication other than to try to bring the animal owner to a greater sense of responsibility to his pet.
Newsday quoted In Defense of Animals’ Elliott Katz as praising the change saying,
This will help people’s general consciousness from thinking animals are just commodities to understanding they’re pets and they need care. This will trickle down to children, and you will see people more pro-active about taking care of their pets; they’ll be less likely to abandon animals.
Katz forgot to mention that it would bring about world peace and solve hunger as well.
Source:
Borough pets now have ‘guardians,’ not owners. Newsday, May 13, 2004.