They give unconditional love and undying loyalty in return for regular meals and an occasional pat on the head.

In 1910, eighty-two-year-old Leo Tolstoy flees from his wife and dies in a railway station of exposure.

Both humans and dogs love to play well into adulthood, and individuals from both species occasionally display evidence of having a conscience.

To a dog, motoring isn't just a way of getting from here to there, it's also a thrill and an adventure. The mere jingle of car keys is enough to send most any dog into a whimpering, tail-wagging frenzy.

I see therapy as a substitute for friendship. I see it as a commentary on the impersonality of society that people have to pay someone to tell them their troubles.

They give unconditional love and undying loyalty in return for regular meals and an occasional pat on the head.