I absolutely love my dogs. They are willing to kill or die to protect my wife and daughter and I’ll always do the same for them. They are part of my family and I treat them accordingly.
Would you allow your daughter run into traffic in order grab one of your dogs?
Ditto.
Hate to say it, but I mourned losing my dog more than losing my mom. Of course, my mom had been ill for quite some time.
My cat turned 17 in March. She's been with me longer than any other pet I've ever had, and has seen me through the roughest parts of my life. I know she won't live forever, but I know the emotional flood that will strike when she's gone.