The Cow Who…
In a language like English, which implicitly categorizes animals as things rather than persons, switching from "that" to "who" would embody the recognition that cows, pets, and fish are all sentient beings, unlike tables, cars, and mountains. The personal pronoun would, in short, remind us who animals really are.
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MELBOURNE – Last month, a steer escaped from a slaughterhouse in the New York City borough of Queens. Video of the animal trotting down a busy street was soon featured on many media outlets. For those who care about animals, the story has a happy ending: The steer was captured and taken to a sanctuary, where he will live out the remainder of his natural life.