Why is a human life valued higher than that of an animal?

Is it because humans are of the same species as us so there is some sort of obligation to save our own? Or is it that we think animals something lesser than us? Do some think they’re incapable of feeling the same pain or emotion that we humans feel? Or is it that we think of animals not as individuals but as just the whole species so one cat, one dog, one whatever dies, no big deal we can just breed more.