A previous debate on this . . . . "The Moral Philosophy Of Favouring Pets Over Humans."
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...highlight=pets
Within the last year, there was also a large article in, I think, the Globe & Mail on kids in their 20's and 30's complaining that their parents, now in their 40's, 50's and 60's often appeared to love or direct more attention to their pets than they ever did to their children when they were all younger . . . . sorry, can't find that link.
My pop certainly grieved far more over the loss of his dog than he ever did over the loss of his mother and father.
The peculiarity of pet ownership is that, unlike children, you are likely to pre-decease them . . . . . which can engender a great sense of loss, particularly since you are likely the one who determines the day they die.
Regarding the letter to the editor that started this thread, it looked to me like the author was angry and sad and looking for some form of revenge, looking to strike out at the individual responsible.
Cowperson