That vs. who with animals

Question:

Should I use who or that when I'm referring to an animal?

Answer:

Everybody agrees that who designates people and that refers to things. But what about animals? Many people think of animals, especially their pets, as people too.

It's safe to say that if an animal has a name, like Sparky or Elroy, it's on an equal grammatical footing with a person. So when you're referring to an animal by name, opt for the pronoun who; otherwise, use that. For example:

• The roar of the vacuum cleaner scared our cat Scooter, who was sleeping on the rug.
• Ziggy, who is a very greedy guinea pig, ate a whole apple.

  BUT

• It was the neighbour's dog that got into our garbage cans.
• The squirrel that took my peanuts scampered up a tree.