It is an unfortunate fact that even though we have these rare pieces of evidence of human empathy and bonding with animals, the lot of the majority of animals falling into the hands of humans throughout history has not be very good.

There’s a satirical novel of the Roman period, The Golden Ass, about a man who’s magically transformed into a donkey. At one point, he’s sold to a mill, and the description of both the men and the animals in the mill (as flour-mills were considered a punitive assignment even for slaves) is absolutely haunting.