Pets will offer us unconditional love and acceptance without question. In many ways this is a lesson in spirituality. In being sensitive to our immediate emotional distress or pain, they can be of comfort. It has been recognized also that they frequently channel healing energies. On a subliminal level, when dreaming of pets we may be aware that someone else has control over our lives. Conversely, if we own a pet in a dream we perhaps need to question or recognize our ability to look after something or someone more vulnerable than ourselves. Whereas in the waking state we may not be aware of our need for love and affection, when a pet appears in a dream we are reacting to a natural drive in ourselves to give or receive love. You might like to consult the individual entries for various animals as well as the entry for Animals to discover their qualities.