I see what you're saying, I think it's just that many people simply love animals more than they do other people. Part of it, I think, is the feeling that unlike people, animals are totally innocent. I was opposed to the Iraq War, for example, but an Iraqi victimized by the war looking for vengeance could justly say I was partly complicit in it because I paid taxes to the government that helped finance the war. But even if this person wanted to hurt me, I could say: "Don't hurt my dogs. They had nothing to do with any of this."

My mom, who's a huge animal lover, can't watch the scene where Woltz finds Khartoum's head in his bed. She told me if I ordered that done, she'd never have anything to do with me again, although she'd still love me. At first I thought she was exaggerating, but now I realize she's telling the truth. However, she doesn't have a problem watching the scene with Senator Geary's prostitute--the only other case in the films where the Corleones deliberately have an innocent living thing killed. In view of what she said about the horse, I asked her if our relationship would end if she found out I had Geary's prostitute killed. She said she would think it was a terrible thing, but she wouldn't stop having anything to do with me because of it.