Terminoligy
The general term zoophilia was first introduced into the field of research on sexuality by Krafft-Ebing in his book Psychopathia Sexualis (1894). The terms zoosexual and zoosexuality, signifying the entire spectrum of emotional and sexual attraction and/or orientation to animals, have been used since the 1980s (cited by Miletski, 1999), to suggest an analogy to homosexual or heterosexual orientations. Individuals with a strong affinity for animals but without a sexual interest can be described as “non-sexual” (or “emotional”) zoophiles, but may object to the zoophile label. They are commonly called animal lovers instead.
The ambiguous term sodomy, usually referring to non-procreative sex, has sometimes been used in legal contexts to include zoosexual acts. Zooerasty is an older term, not in common use. In pornography, human/animal sex is occasionally referred to as farmsex, dogsex or animal sex.
Amongst zoophiles and some researchers, the term bestialist has acquired a negative connotation implying a lower concern for animal welfare. This usage originated with the desire by some zoophiles to have a way to distinguish zoophilia as a fully relational outlook (sexual or otherwise), from simple “ownership with sex.” Others describe themselves as zoophiles and bestialists in accordance with the dictionary definitions of the words.
In a non-zoophilic context, words like bestial or bestiality are also used to signify acting or behaving savagely, animal-like, extremely viciously, or lacking in human values.
