I totally understand your feelings about this. Animals have been incredibly important to me, ever since I was a little girl. To me, they are precious...I don't have words, in fact, to express just how precious I think they are.
People in my life haven't always understood this part of me, and it used to make me crazy! It made me crazy not bc I need them to be like me, but I do want them to understand and accept who I am; and to accept that it's not a right or wrong belief. I've had family members give up their pets too, and it broke my heart (they just didn't have "time" for them
).
Have you ever said to them "They may be just dogs to you, but I'm not you. They are not just dogs to me, and I want you to respect that. We're different, that's all."
I dunno....it's a tough one.