Only an idiot would value an animal over a human being.
In the old west cattle rustlers were hung. Horse thieves were hung. Scientists estimate that dogs (and cats) have the emotional and mental capacity of a three year old human toddler. He may have had no choice, but it was still an act of betrayal.
Hanging horse or cattle thieves was about property loss and/or stranding a man without transport..like this guy
Not about emotional valuation as a pet over human life
Lets get out into the meat and bones of your argument. Roughly equating Cattle Rustlers, Horse Thieves, with this man, and equating the emotional well being of animals with humans.
Firstly, the crimes of theft of property like cattle rustling and horse thieving are not committed against animals. They are theft of property from another person who's livelihood is damaged. So, false argument.
Second, science says a lot of things, but ethics does not derive purely from science. Dog's, Cat's, Shamu, et all, none of these creatures are as valuable as a human person.
I've got no problem making an absolute statement here, because we are dealing in moral and ethical absolutes. Your bleeding heart ethics are impossible for any dog to comprehend much less for a rational human being.
Even convicts on death row get a last meal (which an animal has to die for).
I'll give you this man is an idiot, but which person is less person for being an idiot? You? Still a human being in my book. I'll also give you this man is an ass for making a decision to completely ignore the warnings of others, good sense and judgment, et all. That still does not change who he is. Human beings are still far greater than any animal in the eyes of God, and any sane calculation of ethics.
The fact is we don't know what the first 3 days of Cold wilderness in Canada was like there. We don't know what emotional state this man was in after realizing a huge error, or what the days being fed by his Dog bought him in terms of planning and survival for the remainder of his time there. Still does not change the Calculus of ethics. A Human is greater than an animal.