Do you see this? This is an animal. It is a thing. It lives in the woods in the dirt. If we so desire, we may choose to take possession of it, making it our property. We feed it kibble from a bowl. Make it fetch a ball. Make it do tricks for our amusement. We hunt them to eat when we are hungry. Breed them as cattle.

It cannot think. It cannot reason. It cannot feel. It knows only instinct and the conditioning of an owner's strong hand.

It is not a child. It is not a friend. It is not a lover. It is a beast. A lesser being. A wild animal. Property to use as we see fit.