Replacing an emotional void with children or dogs doesn’t end well. Too many emotionally immature adults out there with neglected children who end up self-parenting themselves. My mom has an ngo that helps single moms and the stories of neglected children are so traumatising. Maybe work on inner peace and stability first. When you are whole, everything becomes a privilege and joy - your partner, children, animals.

I think people should be more upset about why there are so many broken relationships and broken families, compared to dogs. But it's also interesting to observe what people value.