If anyone doubts that animals love and understand more than people give them credit for, then he has never seen therapy animals at work. I can’t begin to count the times sick children or people with Alzheimer’s disease have held my therapy cat, Laser, hugged him tightly while he snuggled in close or gave them a hug in return, and have said, "Look, he loves me!" I’m certainly not going to argue with them.
-- Nancy Kucik
Laser was honored as "Cat of the Year," his photo found in today's NY Daily News. Kucik might be anthropomorphizing here, but the animals' value remain.