I LOVE my dogs too

Its just me, venting again.... this particular pet peeve of mine comes up more and more. Here it is - I cringe every time I hear childless couples claim that their cat, dog, bird, etc "is just like my child"... some how I find that very offensive.... Are you REALLY comparing being a pet owner to the demands of being a parent to a child? I am a Mom to humans and I gave birth to them, they carry my DNA, they are the same SPECIES as me. Yes, my dogs are part of the family, yes I love my dogs, yes, I care for them, worry about them and do all I can to insure their social, emotional and physical well-being but they are NOT children. And putting clothes on Fido or throwing a birthday party for Snowball does NOT make them "your child". Just saying....