They are not really gone

Recently a friend was grieving deeply for a beloved pet that had passed away.
This is what I wrote to her:

Once you welcome them into your home, and start giving your love to them, they cease to be animals. They become true members of your family. The unconditional love you give them, they return doubled and tripled in their own innocent way. In many ways the bond they form with you is stronger and truer than any you might have with people. You, dear friend, are a special kind of person that finds it easy to extend this kind of unconditional love to our slightly more furry friends. Your bond with those that become members of your family has no equal in the human-only world. This kind of bond that you form is worlds higher and better than most people have ever realized. You have such a special, caring soul which now has an important part missing. Try to remember the love you had when they were still on this planet with you. Know that the love you provided has elevated the soul of your departed one to a higher plane than that reached by "ordinary" creatures. You two will be together again once your own spirit ascends to that same plane. They are not really gone, they are saving a place for you.

I love you, dear.