dog and depression

Been home now for a few days, combed the woods, searched for tracks, talked to all the neighbors, informed the warden - the animal clinics and so on ... but alas, no trace of my dog Sunrise. Very strange indeed. That dog stayed around the house all the time, never left his turf. All I can think of now is that a stranger picked him up, lured him away. There are crazy people out there who would do such a thing. But why?
I miss him dearly! It is astonishing to notice how fond we grow to our domesticated animal friends. The bond we weave goes beyond rational explanations. Perhaps animals are just "themselves", staying within the boundaries of their particular nature - not like humans, often pretending and casting an image of what they are not, trying to fool their surrounding with shadow images of their own insecurities.
Do we like pets because they never lie?