The main factor in why a became an Atheist from the age of 12 despite being raised in a Roman Catholic family, was because of how I saw "nonhuman animals" having WAY more in common with "human animals" then not!
I fully support freedom of mind and religion, as I know you do as well @krnel but I concluded early in life that we have so much in common with other species that if "we have a soul and animals do not" must be a lie!
Indeed, soul is just a euphemism to externalize ourselves, the psyche. Animals are part of the psychological dimension.