While I agree with you that pets should not be considered a human’s equal, some people don’t have, for whatever reason, the capacity to form deep human friendships.
For some people, it is a life of complete solitude or some level of interacting with a pet.
In this case, denying this man his dog left him without options.
“In this case, denying this man his dog left him without options.”
I hear what you are saying, I just think it is indicative that he had serious problems when he decided he had no other options.