I know exactly how deep and genuine the love for a pet can be. Still, I don’t believe that saying goodbye to my cat, painful as it was, even comes close to the heartbreak I’d feel if something happened to my child.
These days, though, you hear this comparison more and more. Dog parents, dog moms, and dog dads post cute “family photos” with birthday cakes and pets dressed up in outfits.
I find this a bit odd, but honestly, I’m not bothered by it. Why would I be? It clearly makes them happy, their pets seem well cared for, and it doesn’t hurt anyone. Let them be happy!
But recently, when a friend started telling me she totally understands what it’s like to be a mom because she has a dog (!!!), I thought I’d fall off my chair. I can’t wrap my head around how anyone could seriously believe this parallel. But since more and more people do, here we are: it’s 2025, and I’m writing this article to say no, having a dog (or cat, hamster, houseplant) is not the same as having a child. And trust me: you don’t love them the same way.
A Different Kind of Love
We can love our dogs endlessly and unconditionally—I truly believe that’s how we should love the animals we welcome into our lives. But that love isn’t the same as the love we feel for our children. A child is not just a companion; they’re a reflection, a responsibility, and a future. You can’t leave a child at a boarding house when you go on vacation. A child needs more than just two meals and a walk a day, and you can’t leave them alone for a few hours in the evening while you meet a friend.
A child needs support for decades—emotional, financial, intellectual—and you make countless decisions for their future.
Of course, dogs need care too, no question. But shaping a child’s life and caring for a dog are simply not comparable tasks. Even though both come with sleepless nights, responsibility, and expenses. I would never say owning a pet isn’t a big job or responsibility. I’m just saying it’s not the same as having a child. And you can’t compare an animal to a child—after all, a child is still a human.
Why Compare Them?
I recently read a post online from a grieving father. After losing his little girl to a terminal illness and returning to work, a colleague told him she totally understood his pain because her dog had recently died.
Honestly, all my respect goes to that dad who just wrote a heartfelt post online instead of flipping his colleague over in his rolling chair.
Here’s a morbid question: if you could only save one between a drowning dog and a drowning child, who would you choose?
I don’t think there’s a sane person who wouldn’t save the child. Because that life is simply more precious.
The worst part is, I hate asking this question myself. No, it’s not a good feeling to compare two living beings and wonder whose death would be “less bad.” Honestly, I’d never think about this on my own. When I see well-behaved dogs on the street, I don’t think, “Oh, how cute, but I wouldn’t save it over a drowning child”—simply because I’m not a psychopath.
I don’t like this comparison, but I didn’t start it. If someone does, and acts like dogs and children are equal, I’ll be sure to say no. And they don’t have to be. We can love our pets deeply and sincerely. That love and connection is real, important, and valid—even if we don’t measure it against the parent-child bond. So please, let’s just not do that.
