Our pets—perhaps dogs particularly—are, with their specialized sentiences, a link to that universe of fellow-creatures from which our species has so ruthlessly alienated itself (not that I'm sentimental about nature red in tooth & claw). I have read some of the material purportedly grounded in evolutionary biology about canines as pure opportunists: anyone who has been fortunate enough to share his life with a dog will reject that picture with the contempt it deserves. I add my own condolences to the pile.

cordially,