A personal pet peeve is ADOPTION:

[brwneyedmom]

I cannot tolerate the word adoption being mis-applied to animals or highway lanes.  I believe that I BUY a pet and adopt children.  I believe that I COMMIT to clean a highway section.  Neither of these situations is necessarily a lifetime commitment.  
I can give away my dog or cat if I develop allergies, or if I just get tired of taking care of them.  I can declare that time constraints prevent me from cleaning up the highway.  But I have a lifetime of devotion and love for my son who WAS adopted at birth.  I have a commitment to him that in no way compares to a dog or cat.  I can't quit when it gets hard.  I can't walk away because I'm busy.  Nor would I want to.
Don't tell me that a dog or cat are just like children to you.  Bull.  They're pets.  
Using the word adoption in relation to buying a dog, cat or other animal cheapens the very personal and meaningful way that I built my family.  

[FLMom]

I'd argue with you just to get this board going, but too bad I kind of agree with you. Darnit.

[MixedBag]

ditto

[Giggles]

However, I am of the sort that my "pets" are a lifetime commitment.  I had my Dusty for 18 years and I was deeply affected by her passing.  Some may say she was just a cat, but she was way more than that to me!!  She was my "first born" so to speak, she was my baby and I loved her dearly.

My children and I were talking just last night about adoption, my daughter (8 y/o) had asked what it was about.  I explained to her that often times when people find out that they are going to have a child but know they can't take care of the child, they put them up for adoption because they love them so much that they want to see them have a better life than what they could give them.  To which she replied "I guess you didn't love me that much huh?"  then giggled after...sigh.

[olanna]

My daughter is a Vet, and I can tell you that the word adoption isn't placed on a pet in that manner.  The word was put there to encourage people to feel a sense of responsibility to a loving animal companion.  It was a buzzword.

And, I have animals I didn't adopt. They adopted me.  They are my cats and dog and I am their human.

They only have a finite number of years with us.  I lost my cat, Carmel of 14 years, and it felt like a family member died.  I still get teary when I think about him, just like everyone else in my family does.  

No my animals are not my children. But there is a relationship that is close and loving and caring.

[gemini3]

>I cannot tolerate the word adoption being mis-applied to
>animals or highway lanes.  I believe that I BUY a pet and
>adopt children.  I believe that I COMMIT to clean a highway
>section.  Neither of these situations is necessarily a
>lifetime commitment.  
>I can give away my dog or cat if I develop allergies, or if I
>just get tired of taking care of them.  I can declare that
>time constraints prevent me from cleaning up the highway.  But
>I have a lifetime of devotion and love for my son who WAS
>adopted at birth.  I have a commitment to him that in no way
>compares to a dog or cat.  I can't quit when it gets hard.  I
>can't walk away because I'm busy.  Nor would I want to.
>Don't tell me that a dog or cat are just like children to you.
> Bull.  They're pets.  
>Using the word adoption in relation to buying a dog, cat or
>other animal cheapens the very personal and meaningful way
>that I built my family.  

The dictionary defines adoption as:transitive verb
1: to take by choice into a relationship; especially : to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one's own child
2: to take up and practice or use
3: to accept formally and put into effect
4: to choose (a textbook) for required study in a course

So, while I hear what bothers you, maybe you have it backwards.  That word has been around for hundreds of years.  Maybe we should have a more meaningful word for the adoption of children?