Because they're an integral part of our earthly lives! There is no escaping them.
Yes, now we know that they feel pain, they think, they have desires, they concern themselves with their daily living, and love others.
And so their plaintive cries reach our ears, grow our hearts, engendering our empathy, and a desire to heal all their ills.
Deborah, through her example, shows us how and why animals love us in return!