The breath of life is in that dove. "..he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him." I think Noah loved that dove the same way God loves us.

Genesis 8:8-9
Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.
But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.

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