“Until one has loved an animal,” Anatole France wrote, ” a part of one’s soul remains unakened.”

Sometimes, the awakening of that soul is the only objective and rational thing about being alive.

For me, dogs have awakened my soul more than once. Dogs were magic helpers walking alongside me in my hero journey in search of myself. They did help awaken my soul.  A cat is doing it again.  So did a donkey.

The donkeys do it whenever I rub their soft noses.

I don’t believe animal love is superior to human love; they are not the same thing, at least for me. Each powerfully complements the other. I don’t think one is better or superior to the other, but each one brings love out of hiding, brings a smile out of brooding, and shows what it means to love another being. They are not in competition; they bring richness and meaning to life in different but powerful ways.