Yeah, I was a bit harsh. Still, even when rescuing a pet from a shelter, you are gaining ownership, which is somewhat different from adopting a human. I think that’s an important distinction, even though I also don’t see it as inherently degrading to be considered property.

A dog’s notion of property is basically the same as every other animal’s: you can keep what you can defend. We defend our pets in the same way we defend our friends and family. In some sense, our debts of gratitude make us all property to someone.