Parents of "Pets?" A Defense of Interspecies Parenting and Family Building
Parents of "Pets?" A Defense of Interspecies Parenting and Family Building

Summary/Abstract: In this paper, I advance the position that some relationships between human caregivers and their non-human companion animals ought to be thought of (and treated as) instances of parenting. Parenting non-human animals shares many of the same features as parenting human children, including similar (although not identical) rights, responsibilities, rewards, and challenges. I argue for increased visibility, recognition, and respect of this form of parenting, and draw out some of the moral and practical implications of doing so. Finally, I discuss challenges to my view, and ultimately argue that despite these potential objections, we still have significant reasons to value this particular form of parenting on par with other parenting arrangements.

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