The principle race of aliens in The Demu Trilogy written by F.M. Busby. Xenophobic, highly religous space lobsters. The word the Demu use to mean person is Demu. Any race that doesn't look and act like a Demu is an animal.
They believe it is their duty to transform any race they encounter into Demu so that race can become people. They don't believe in anesthetics, meaning that the transformation is a gruesome operation to those who have it performed on them.
Unbeknownst to the majority of the Demu they themselves are the product of genetic manipulation by a far older and ridiculously more advanced race. They are in fact pets.