Originally Posted by veganbikes

That is actually incorrect. Gender is not a human centric idea. Also a thing is a material object without life or consciousness. I would hardly call a living dog or anyone living, what amounts to, an inanimate object.

If non-human animals were non-living then yes calling them "things" and "it"s would make sense, tons of it however that is not the case. We are all part of kingdom animalia so I don't understand why we would call one part of kingdom animalia he/she/they... and another it? It is not like humans are that radically different biologically than other animals in the "kingdom". Some minor differences but keep in mind we didn't magically just appear on this planet we evolved over time.