Sharon,
I am sorry that you received such a rude welcome to BellaOnline.
I will check with Lisa and Deb about this; but I always look at the topic coming down from the subject. Animal life is listed under News and Politics, whereas the pet topics are listed under Home and Garden.
That leads me to believe that Animal Life is going to cover all sorts of animals, but be more current events style. Stories like how the demand for sushi is making Bluefinned Tuna very scarce, or how families with asthma can have pets. Ideas are going to cross over, that is natural and there is nothing wrong with that.