First of all, this is coming from a guy who has chosen to not have children and is in charge of a bunch of people who do not have children. And I think a lot of people were hurt because childbearing is obviously a fraught issue.
I think another reason people are upset is because anyone who’s ever owned a pet and loved a pet knows that they are legitimate sources of joy and God’s grace in the world. We do treat them and love them like they’re part of our families. And I think that they can teach us things about how to be better humans.