Ricky Gervais explains why dogs are the 'greatest thing on earth' and dog people couldn't agree more

Dogs are often referred to as "man's best friend" for a reason. They are loyal, loving and endlessly devoted companions. Whether we are happy or sad, they are always there to offer a wagging tail and a friendly lick. The Emmy Award-winning writer, director and comedian Ricky Gervais is known for his wit and love for dogs. Recently, Protect All Wildlife, who are vocal advocates for wildlife and expose animal abuse and abusers, shared a four-year-old video of the comedian on Twitter. In the video, Gervais can be seen talking about the importance of dogs in his life.

The video titled "Ricky Gervais on why meeting dogs is the most important part of the day" was originally shared on YouTube as part of the promotion of his Netflix show "After Life," which was released in March 2019.

In the video, Gervais says that if he scuffles with eight dogs in the morning, he is "set up for the day." He believes that dogs are the greatest things on earth. He considers them "magical, brilliant, amazing and beautiful souls."

"It's the closest I get to spirituality, watching a dog," he added. Gervais and his spouse Jane, always come across dogs on their walks to Central Park and Hampstead and they know most of them by their names as they meet them almost every day. When he meets a new dog, Gervais is "like a toddler in a toy shop." For him, dogs "are like air or land; they are everyone's."

A German Shepherd, named Antilly, played the role of Brandy in Gervais's comedy-drama "After Life." While writing the script, Gervais included a dog as a prominent character. During his meeting with the owner, the comedian assured him that he didn't want Antilly to perform tricks or stress her during the shoot. The dog was on the shooting set for six weeks and captured everyone's hearts.

Gervais is also known for his atheistic stands for animal rights and veganism. In a letter written to the Wall Street Journal in 2010, he answers the question of why he is an atheist. "I don't believe in God because there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence and from what I've heard the very definition is a logical impossibility in this known universe." In "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," when asked if he believes in God, Gervais said that he "believes in dogs."

Many on Twitter supported Gervais' stance on dogs being the "greatest thing on earth." Several echoed his sentiment in response to Protect All Wildlife's tweet. 

Gervais has become one of the most popular and omnipresent comedy performers of the 21st century, hosting the Golden Globe awards, lending his talent to films, becoming a voice artist and appearing on numerous talk shows. However, he had to wait a long time before achieving the fame he is enjoying now, according to IMDB. In the 1990s he formed a writing partnership with Stephen Merchant.

With time, Gervais has grown to become one of the most popular, irreplaceable and omnipresent comedy performers of the 21st century, hosting the Golden Globe awards, lending his talent to films, becoming a voice artist and appearing on numerous talk shows. He has become one of the best-known British comedy figures in America. Netflix is set to release "Ricky Gervais: Armageddon" in 2024, following the success of Gervais' previous stand-up comedy shows, "SuperNature" and "Humanity."