It has come to my attention that some misinformed students believe that cats are better than dogs. I will not stand for such an erroneous opinion. I will not roll over.

There’s a reason why dogs are called man’s best friend. Whenever I come home from a long day of school, dreading the mountain of homework and college app essays I have to finish before I can feel the sweet embrace of sleep, guess who’s waiting patiently at the door, wagging her tail. It’s my precious Goldendoodle and personal therapist Pixie. 

Whenever my dog looks up at me, head tilted and eyes shining, I feel as though she can understand every word I say. Would a cat do that? No. A cat would ignore you. Or hiss at you. Or scratch you. As such, in the past, our school employed therapeutic dogs, not therapeutic cats, before finals week to ease the stress felt by students before taking exams.

A 2019 study investigated therapy dogs and their effects on university students’ mood and anxiety. Not only did the researchers find that directly interacting with dogs reduced anxiety, but even just watching videos of dogs improved students’ moods. I mean, can you blame them? How can one be sad while seeing a dog’s cute face?

Furthermore, dogs are a lot more interesting than cats. Be honest. Do cats do anything other than laze around all day? From going on walks to playing frisbee in the backyard, dogs are content with all forms of exercise and entertainment that are fun for their owners as well (not to mention healthy). While it is true that cats are capable at performing athletic feats such as climbing trees and landing on their feet, they rarely present the energy to do so and would rather sleep or groom themselves. On the other hand, dogs are enthusiastic about engaging in physical activity and have often been trained to execute sports skills such as setting a volleyball or surfing. Side note: Pixie actually can climb trees, so cats’ athleticism is irrelevant.

Dogs engage in a variety of quirky activities that serve as memorable and funny moments that can be shared with friends to spread a sense of joy in our communities. I can’t even count how many photos and videos I have of Pixie chasing her own tail or rolling around while basking in the sun. 

From a broader perspective, dogs have unique talents that make them invaluable, especially with regards to crime-fighting. Because of their sense of smell and aptitude for learning, dogs make great companions for police officers. The San Francisco Police Department K-9 unit utilizes dogs to aid in sniffing out bombs, finding missing persons and hunting down criminals. Don’t worry, these dogs aren’t tools for the police. They still enjoy normal pet life while living with their respective handlers. The relationship between the K-9 unit and its hounds epitomizes the trust humans place in dogs and the loyalty dogs show in return.

While it may be true that both dogs and cats rightfully reside on top of the Animals Appreciated by Humans hierarchy, dogs deserve to be slotted at a higher tier than cats for their loving demeanor and wider range of applicable skills. 

In case you think I’m biased, I made sure to get a second opinion. When asked if dogs were better than cats, Pixie responded with a resounding “Woof!”

There you go, undeniable proof.