I’m sure “ghost” is also in the dictionary, doesn’t mean I believe in those, either. Just means that there is a word for it.
Dogs and cats, our most common pets, were raised and bred over many years to be dependent on us. If you raise a wolf and a dog in an identical environment and then introduce them to an identical problem: the wolf will attempt to solve the problem on its own. Even when failing it will not turn to the human. A dog, however, when they can not solve it on their own, will automatically turn to the human. This doesn’t mean that the dog has a soul, or even that it loves us.. but that we have essentially created dogs to depend on us. Many people read that as love. I’m sure there are plenty of people who believe all living creatures have souls, but that is a completely different story from placing our pets on a pedestal over any other animal in the world. It is all in our heads. Or all animals have souls. Whichever way you choose to run with it.
I am an animal lover, and I am a pet owner. I tell everyone that my pets love me, and I know that I love them. What it really boils down to is a mutually beneficial relationship. I need them and they need me, and that seems to work just fine.