Ancient Egyptians appeared to have a very nice and gentle attitude
toward animals and were inclined to consider almost every animal as a symbol of
the divine power. Like cats, dogs were appreciated. Dogs were respected members
of the Egyptian family
and the birth of a hound was considered second in importance only to the birth
of a son. The favorite hounds of the upper class were mummified and buried with
their owners. Mummified canine remains recovered from tombs dating 3,000 BC show
identical morphology as those of their owners. When the pet hound died, the
entire family would go into mourning and honor the buried pet. The walls of
Egyptian tombs often were decorated with images of their hounds.
Among Pharaohs known to own and revere dogs are Tutankhamun, Amenhotep II,
Thutmose III, Queen Hathshepsut, and Cleopatra VII (of Antony and Cleopatra
fame).
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