I can't remember life without dogs in mine, really. Whether my family had one or not at the time (we usually did), I've always been close to other family members or friends who did -- and those were my favorite environments to be in. I love dogs of all shapes, sizes and situations, but I have a special place in my heart for dogs with special needs or who are senior citizens. My most recent family dog lived until just about sixteen years of age and was a two-time stroke survivor, blind and deaf when her time came -- and we all did everything we could to keep her quality of life as high as possible through all of that. There's no other question. I'm also cat friendly!