Happy National Love Your Pet Day!

If there's one thing pet owners know, it's that every day is National Love Your Pet Day. I know my dog gets showered with love the second I walk in the door, but animal love does have its own special day, which just so happens to be February 20th — so why not celebrate? The bond between people and their pets is unlike anything else in life. These little balls of fur depend on us for everything, and give us so much in return: love, affection, and endless devotion.

Pets know us without saying anything. When you're sick or sad, a pet is always there to make you feel better — a built in cuddle companion whenever you need one! Dogs might be man’s best friend, but cats, fish — even pigs, if you’re Winston Churchill — are equally loving, in their own ways.

More than anything, animals give us companionship that we can’t get anywhere else, and make us better people for it. So, to celebrate National Love Your Pet Day appropriately, here are 11 quotes from people who know just how important our furry friends are. Read them, hug your cat or dog, and give them an extra treat or two.

1. “Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” — Orhan Pamuk

2. “Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” — Colette

3. “When I am feeling low all I have to do is watch my cats and my courage returns." — Charles Bukowski

4. “Perhaps the greatest gift an animal has to offer is a permanent reminder of who we really are.” — Nick Trout

5. “People talk to pets and babies to stop themselves going mad.” — James Smythe

6. "Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms." — George Eliot

7. "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains un-awakened." — Anatole France

8. "I like pigs. Dogs looks up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." — Winston Churchill

9. "My little dog — a heartbeat at my feet." — Edith Wharton

10. "Animals are reliable; many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful, and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to." — Alfred A. Montapert

11. "The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." — Andrew A. Rooney

Image: Strelciuc/Fotolia; Giphy (11)