Agreed, njtosd. We love animals, and our dog is a part of our family, but he does not have the same status as our children; not by a long shot.
Some people genuinely seem to love their dogs more than their own kids or spouses. It would seem logical to assume that people who feel this way probably like the fact that dogs, in particular, provide love and loyalty without any expectations of their owners. They often have unconditional love for their owners, so it’s understandable why some people love them so much; but it’s also odd (IMHO) to love an animal more than your own family members.
This past summer, my husband had to intervene when a woman was intentionally burning her dog’s feet. When they tried to rescue the dog (they had to subdue the woman in order to do so), it became very aggressive with the rescuers and defended its owner. There is no limit to the loyalty some dogs feel for their owners.
