As Valentine's Day approaches, many people with dogs will not care one bit whether they get a card.
情人節即將來臨，但許多狗主人根本不在乎是否能收到賀卡。
A survey by the Kennel Club has found almost one in five would rather have a dog than be in a relationship.
英國養犬俱樂部的一項調查發現，近五分之一的人寧願養狗也不願談戀愛。
Almost half said they were so attached to their pet because 'dogs don't let you down' in the same way that other people might.
近半數人說，他們如此依戀自己的狗狗，是因為「狗不會像其他人那樣讓你失望」。
Although a dog might not buy you roses or take you out for dinner, it seems unconditional love and a wagging tail can make being single a less lonely prospect.
雖然狗狗可能不會給你買玫瑰或帶你出去吃飯，但似乎無條件的愛和搖擺的尾巴可以讓單身變得不那麼孤單。
The research, which asked 2,612 dog owners for their thoughts on romance, found just under a quarter agreed that having a dog would make them feel less concerned about not being in love.
這項調查詢問了2612名狗主人對愛情的看法，結果發現，近四分之一的人認為養狗能讓他們不那麼擔心單身狀態。
Perhaps the findings are unsurprising, as celebrities have long used dogs as their plus-ones.
也許這些發現並不令人驚訝，因為很多名人一直都把狗當作他們的另一半。
Hollywood legend Glenn Close took her Havanese dog Pip to the Oscars last year, describing her pet as 'the best date a girl can have'.
好萊塢傳奇人物格倫·克洛斯去年帶著她的哈威那犬皮普參加奧斯卡頒獎典禮，稱她的寵物是「女孩的最佳約會對象」。
Comedian Miranda Hart and racing driver Lewis Hamilton have gone on holiday with their dogs, and actor Ryan Gosling has taken his cross-breed George, who he describes as 'the great love of my life', on to chat shows for moral support.
喜劇演員米蘭達·哈特和賽車手劉易斯·漢密爾頓帶著他們的狗狗去度假了，而演員瑞恩·高斯林則帶著他的混血狗喬治上了談話節目尋求精神支持，他稱自己的狗狗是「生命中的摯愛」。
Jennifer Aniston has credited her dogs and female friends with making her happy, stating: 'I've had more fun post-40 than I can remember - from a work point of view, a physical point of view, a psychotherapeutic point of view.'
詹妮弗·安妮斯頓將自己的快樂歸功於她的狗狗和女性朋友，她說：「從工作、身體和心理治療的角度來看，40歲以後，我比以前更快樂。」
Bill Lambert, a spokesman for the Kennel Club, said: 'There certainly seems to be a growing number of dog-lovers who would rather share their lives with a four-legged friend instead of a human partner.
養犬俱樂部的發言人比爾·蘭伯特說：「越來越多的愛狗人士表示，與人類伴侶相比，他們更願意和狗狗一起生活。」
'This could be due to the numerous benefits that come with dog ownership - from the psychological to the physical.
「這可能是因為養狗有很多好處——從心理上到生理上。」
'Dogs help their owners unwind, whether that's with a daily walk in fresh air, or with a cuddle on a sofa. They can also be great listeners, help their owners combat stress, and can play a part in improving the health and fitness of their two-legged counterparts.'
「狗狗能幫助主人放鬆身心，無論是每天呼吸新鮮空氣散步，還是在沙發上抱抱。它們也可以成為很好的傾聽者，幫主人減壓，還有助於改善主人的健康狀況。」
養狗還能提升脫單機率
Nonetheless, for those dog owners who are still looking for love, the research suggests their pet might help.
儘管如此，研究表明，對於那些仍在尋找真愛的狗主人來說，他們的寵物可能會有所幫助。
More than a fifth of those questioned said they had been asked out on a date or found love while out with their dog, with beagles, springer spaniels and German Shepherds appearing best for attracting a potential partner.
超過五分之一的受訪者稱，他們曾在遛狗時被人邀約，或找到真愛，其中，比格獵犬、史賓格獵犬和德國牧羊犬最能吸引潛在伴侶。
People who owned golden retrievers and corgis were also very likely to say their pet may have helped them out romantically.
養金毛獵犬和柯基犬的人脫單的機率也較高。
Mr Lambert said: 'This is quite unsurprising when you consider that dogs are a great ice-breaker, when strangers may otherwise not look twice at each other, and that we tend to have very positive associations about people who love dogs.'
蘭伯特先生說：「狗狗很能打破僵局，否則陌生的人們可能不會再看對方一眼，而且我們往往對愛狗的人有非常積極的聯想，因此這就不足為奇了。」
Among those responding to the survey, 21 percent said they were more likely to date someone who also had a dog.
在受訪者中，21%的狗主人說，他們更願意和養狗的人約會。