Paws & Reflect

...If a man cares about his dog, it is a mark that he may also possess certain behaviors essential to a relationship: the ability to give and receive love, the capacity to tend to the needs of another, the openness to accept the presence of someone else...

- Excerpt from Paws and Reflect : Exploring the Bond Between Gay Men and Their Dogs

I think this can apply to anyone who has the good fortune to share their lives with animals.